A Journey
by Secrets of the Fall
Summary: Kurt enrolls at Dalton to escape the bullies, but he soon finds that bullies are everywhere he goes. How will he handle his new life at Dalton, and what other surprises are in store for him?
1. Chapter 1

**Hi Everyone!**

**This is my first fanfic for Glee's Kurt and Blaine.**

**Please Review :) Likes/dislikes, thoughts and opinions, and requests are all welcomed!**

**I don't own Glee...if I did Kurt and Blaine would get a move on, and stop endlessly dancing around each other.**

A Journey

* * *

Kurt woke up that morning, wishing he hadn't. He felt horrible. His head pounded against his skull, and the room spun dangerously. He moaned in pain. His roommate, who was searching for a tie, stopped and looked at the boy huddled on the bed. Kurt groaned again.

"Are you okay?" The other boy asked, as he walked over to Kurt's bedside.

Kurt looked horrible. His eyes watered, and his cheeks were flushed. Before his roommate could say anything else, Kurt fell asleep again.

* * *

"Kurt. You have to wake up for me okay?" Blaine sat on the edge of Kurt's bed, a concerned look on his face, as he tried to get Kurt to stay awake long enough to take some medicine.

"What?" Kurt choked out. He opened his eyes and saw Blaine hovering over him, a medicine cup filled to the brim with some kind of nasty looking liquid, in his hand.

"Let me help you sit up," Blaine said. Kurt slowly sat up, and looked at the older boy as Blaine placed a hand on his back to support him. Kurt's face was so flushed from his fever, that Blaine didn't

notice it turn crimson red as he leaned into Blaine's touch.

Kurt looked around the room. Wes and David were standing in the doorway watching Blaine and Kurt, and there was a sandy haired boy with light brown eyes at the foot of his bed. Kurt drank the

medicine, and Blaine helped him lie back down. Kurt closed his eyes again, and tried to sleep over the thumping in his head.

All of a sudden, he felt Blaine shift on his bed, and he quickly reached out and grabbed his hand. "Stay" he gasped. Blaine smiled at Kurt and squeezed his hand, as he shot death glares at Wes and

David who were laughing silently from the door.

Blaine glared at them again until they got the message, and the two of them turned around and walked down the hallway.

* * *

Kurt slid in and out of consciousness for the next couple of hours, and as he came too for the fifth time, he heard Blaine and the other boy talking.

"…When are you going to tell him?" the other boy asked. "It's not the right time," Blaine answered in return.

Kurt was completely confused, and tried to process the exchange between the other boys. _Tell me what? What does Blaine mean, 'it's not the right time?' _He concluded that he must be delusional, and

instead took comfort in the fact that Blaine was softly stroking his hand.

"Alright, well I'm going to go down for dinner. Let me know if anything changes with Kurt," the sandy haired boy announced.

"I will Jake" Blaine said to the other boy as he left the room. As soon as Kurt was sure the boy named Jake was gone, he slowly opened his eyes, and saw Blaine looking at him. "Hey, how are you feeling?" He asked him quietly.

"Alright" Kurt responded, flushing again.

"You're fever has gone down" he said smiling at Kurt. "Are you hungry or thirsty?"

"A little thirsty," Kurt replied.

"What would you like to drink?" Blaine asked again.

"I don't really care," Kurt answered. He looked around his room, and noticed the other bed against the far wall was made up. He wondered who his roommate was, and where the other boy was

residing at this point.

Kurt had only been at Dalton for a day. He had spent the morning talking with the Dean of students about his schedule, meal plans, boarding choices, and the various recreational and educational

activities that were offered to the students. Blaine met up with him for lunch, and then he spent the afternoon unpacking his numerous boxes and organizing his side of the dorm room. Sometime after

dinner, he began to feel run down so he decided to go to bed a little earlier than usual, and woke up with the cold he was battling now.

"Ill go get you something." Blaine offered, bringing Kurt back to the present.

"Where are you going to go?" Kurt asked hurriedly as his heart pounded against his rib cage. He mentally kicked himself afterwards, but Blaine just seemed amused by Kurt's concern and put a hand

on his arm.

"I'm going to go down to the dining hall," Blaine said with a smile in his voice. "Just rest, I won't be gone long. I promise," he added, after seeing Kurt's expression. He left the room and hurried

through the three story building to the dining hall.

Kurt closed his eyes, and waited for Blaine to come back. He was feeling a lot better now, and he was grateful that Blaine took time out of his schedule to help him. Blaine arrived less than five

minuets later with a couple different beverages at hand.

"What did you do?" Kurt asked incredulously as Blaine placed the drinks down on the night table next to Kurt's bed.

"You said you didn't care what you drank which wasn't really helpful for me, so I got you a little bit of everything," Blaine explained. He sat back down on the edge of the bed, and watched Kurt

decide which one of the drinks he wanted.

Kurt sat up slowly, and when the room began to spin again, Blaine held him until Kurt could open his eyes without getting dizzy.

"I am a horrible mentor." Blaine said apologetically as Kurt took a sip of Ginger Ale.

"No you're not, it's not your fault I got sick," Kurt replied, waving Blaine's comment away.

"I'm supposed to help you though," Blaine continued holding Kurt's gaze.

"What do you mean?" Kurt asked trying not to melt into a warm puddle in front of him.

"Whenever a student enrolls here, either as a freshman, or a transfer student, he is assigned an upperclassmen to mentor him for his first year. The mentor helps with the transition process both

academically and socially to ensure that the new student feels as comfortable as possible" Blaine explained.

"Oh. So, you're assigned to me? How did that happen? Kurt asked nonchalantly.

"Well I explained to the Dean that we're already acquainted, and that I know of your particular situation" Blaine said.

Kurt stared down at his Ginger Ale, and then glanced up at Blaine under his lashes. He could feel himself blushing, and he knew that Blaine noticed.

"And like I said, I didn't do a very good job," Blaine said, smiling sadly.

"Your job just began," Kurt replied quietly.

Blaine moved closer to Kurt, and nudged him with his shoulder. Kurt's skin tingled at the slight contact, and he had to practice breathing slowly so he wouldn't hyperventilate.

Blaine gave him a warm smile, and said, "so how about I start fresh, and bring you to dinner."

Kurt stared back. They were so close. Blaine had leaned in, and they both hardly dared to breathe. Their hands lay on the bed not quite touching, and Kurt swore he heard Blaine's heart beat. Time

seemed to suspend between them, and Blaine wanted to know what Kurt was thinking so badly it hurt. Even though the room was chilly, both boys felt extremely warm, and was thinking of what to

say to the other when Blaine's phone beeped.

"Sorry," Blaine said as he moved back to his original spot on the bed, and took his phone out of his pocket. Warbler practice was in two days, and the Warbler council needed to know if Kurt was

going to come along and audition. Blaine typed out a fast response, while Kurt tried without success to catch his breath.

"So, what do Dalton boys eat around here?" Kurt asked.

Blaine looked up confused. "What do you mean?" he questioned the younger boy.

"Well, you said you would get me dinner. So, what does everyone eat?" Kurt reminded the lead Warbler.

Blaine watched Kurt take another sip of soda, and turned his phone on silent. "There's lots of different food choices. If your up to it, I can take you down so you can see for yourself."

Kurt smiled. He was feeling better, whether that was because of the medicine, or having Blaine worry about him, but he wasn't sure. "Okay, let me get dressed, and you can lead the way," he

concluded.

* * *

A half hour later, Blaine and Kurt made their way down the stairs. They walked through the first floor, and like the second floor, it was lined with dorm rooms on either side. Kurt looked at the

paintings on the cream walls, and the plants placed throughout the hallway. Blaine held the door open for Kurt, who shivered against the cold and adjusted his cashmere scarf. He gasped as he took in

the scenery surrounding the grounds; snow was falling from the sky, and coating the grass in a thick, white blanket. The benches that were laid along the sidewalks were covered with snow, and only

the gazebos remained clear. Blaine smiled at Kurt, and put his hand on his back, as they made their way through the snow.

"Hey Blaine! Hi Kurt, how are you doing?" asked Jake when he spotted the pair entering the dining hall.

"Wow that was cold," Kurt gasped.

Blaine looked at Kurt to make sure he was okay, and put a hand on his shoulder as they greeted Jake.

"I'm doing better thanks," Kurt replied as he followed Blaine and Jake to the front of the room.

Blaine was right, there was so much food to choose from that Kurt wasn't sure what to do. The older boy laughed as he pulled Kurt along to pick from a variety of meat, vegetables, biscuits, pasta,

and soup.

"I'm Jake, we haven't met formally yet," Kurt's roommate said as they made their way to a table overlooking the campus. "You nearly gave me a heart attack this morning," he continued. "When I felt

you burning up I ran out the door and grabbed Blaine from his room, and I got him worried sick too."

"Thank you. I don't know why that happened," Kurt said.

"Too much stress," Blaine offered as he sat down, motioning for Kurt to sit next to him.

"Maybe," Kurt said. Blaine was the only student at Dalton who knew why he transferred in the first place, and he really wanted to keep it like that for the time being. He watched his roommate, Jake,

take a seat across from him. Jake was tall, with sandy brown hair and light brown eyes. He had well defined cheekbones, and like the rest of the boys, was sporting the Dalton blazer.

"I'm glad you're feeling better," Jake said smiling at Kurt.

"Thanks. I'm sorry if I took over the room today," Kurt replied apologetically as he began eating.

"Don't worry about it. I had a full day of classes, and then I went to one of the common rooms to work on an English essay that's due in a week," Jake explained as he cut into his steak.

"Oh. Okay, good," Kurt said relieved. The last thing he wanted was to be on bad terms with his new roommate.

"How's the food?" Blaine asked Kurt who was stabbing a pasta shell with his fork.

"Good," Kurt said simply. Blaine's shoulder was touching his, and this did not go unnoticed by either of them. The younger boy surveyed the hall, as a sea of Dalton Blazers ate and conversed with

one another for the remainder of the dinner hour. Boys left and right discussed classes, homework, unfair teachers, and of course, what they planned to do over the weekend.

"Do you want anything else to eat?" asked Blaine who was looking at Kurt's empty dish a few minuets later.

"No thanks, I want to go back to my dorm and sleep," Kurt said.

"Okay, I'll go with you," Blaine offered standing up with his and Kurt's plates stacked together. Kurt was about to object until he realized that Blaine lived in the same dormitory as him, and he

probably would just get lost with all the snow outside.

They made their way outside after saying bye to Jake who was caught up in a conversation regarding a certain singer's dress with the boy sitting next to him. They crossed paths with Wes, David,

and another Warbler who were busy discussing the set list for sectionals outside, even though it was below freezing. Blaine hurried Kurt along so he didn't get sick again, and Wes and David smiled at

how over protective the lead singer was acting.

"I think…" Wes said to David.

"…that Blaine has a small crush." David finished smiling hugely.

"You two scare me when you finish each other's sentences," the other Warbler, a boy name Tom said.

"You should be used to it by now," Wes and David said together watching Blaine and Kurt's distant figures.

* * *

"If you need anything else, my room is just down the hall. It's number 210." Blaine said as he watched Kurt hang up his coat and put his scarf away.

"Thank you," Kurt said as he walked over to Blaine. The older boy wasn't sure what he should do; his job was mentor, but that wasn't how he felt. Instead of doing something he might later regret,

he reached for Kurt's hand and held it gently.

"Your welcome," he said softly while he looked into Kurt's blue eyes. "I'll come in the morning, and we can go to breakfast together," he continued.

"Okay," Kurt whispered. He wanted so badly to reach for the older boy standing in front of him, but instead he focused on the feel of their hands twined together. The hall grew louder as students

began coming back from dinner, and Blaine gave Kurt one more breathtaking smile before joining the throng of students walking to their rooms.

Kurt stayed in his doorway for another moment, before he closed the door, and sat on his bed. Heart pounding, he grabbed his phone, and text Mercedes the events of the day smiling from ear to ear

the entire time.

* * *

**Please Review :)**


	2. Chapter 2

**Hi Everyone!**

**Here is the second chapter :)**

**Thank you for your amazing reviews. I was shocked by how many people added my story to their alerts!**

**I don't own Glee...if I did there would be way more Sue and Kurt moments, and Kurt would rule the show!**

**Reviews make me immensely happy :D**

A Journey-Chapter 2

* * *

Kurt decided the next day was better and worse. He woke to a text from Blaine: _'h__ey, you might want to skip the moisturizing routine because we're going down to breakfast in 15.' _Even though Kurt was suspicious about Blaine's knowledge of what he does in the bathroom, he was thrilled that he text him. He then proceeded to jump out of bed, spent five minuets moisturizing, and dressed in his suit for classes. He was just lacing up his shoes when there was a knock at the door.

From across the room, Jake startled and quickly sat up, "what's going on?" he asked.

"Nothing, just going down to breakfast," Kurt answered.

"Oh crap, I'm always late," Jake complained, jumping out of bed and running to the bathroom he now shared with Kurt.

Kurt just laughed at his new friend, and opened the door to reveal Blaine standing in the hall. A smile spread across his face as he said good morning to Kurt.

Kurt wasn't sure if Blaine was smiling because he could hear Kurt's heart thumping, or if he was just glad to see him. Either way, Kurt was going to breakfast with Blaine, and he couldn't have been happier.

* * *

The duo walked across the lawns to breakfast, and ran across Tom, the warbler who was talking with Wes and David the night before.

"Morning Blaine! I don't believe we've met though," he said, holding out his hand for Kurt to shake. "I'm Tom, a senior, and a member of the Warblers," he announced proudly. Kurt shook his hand and they continued with the introductions throughout breakfast.

"So that's when I said, 'you have to actually sing your part. You can't just hum in the background," Tom was telling Wes who looked like he was barely listening as he drank his orange juice.

Blaine promptly began to fill Kurt in on what Tom was talking about: "Tom is on the council, and during rehearsal practice a few months ago when he was in charge due to Wes having to leave for family issues, he noticed one of the freshman wasn't actually singing the song. He got mad and flipped out on him, who to this day, makes sure his voice is louder than everyone else's."

"What does he have going for him," Kurt asked, sneaking a look at the senior who was now laughing so loud, the entire table craned their necks to see what was so funny.

"Everything." Blaine replied. "He has a 4.0 GPA, he's a Warbler, president of the student senate, the engineering club, and he's on the honor committee. There isn't much he doesn't or can't do," Blaine finished.

"Wow, that must be hard, right?" Kurt asked.

"Yes and no," Blaine answered. At Dalton, all the students are involved in many different activities in order to prepare for college. Most students go on to graduate from Harvard, Yale, or other ivy leagues, and in order to get in, you have to go all the way, and be the best."

"Oh." Kurt wondered briefly whether or not he would be able to handle so many responsibilities, when out of nowhere, a middle aged woman stormed down the aisle, screaming at the top of her lungs.

The hall quieted immediately, and watched as the pink faced woman stopped right in front of Wes and David. "This is the last straw!" She yelled at the two boys, who had the most perfected look of shock plastered onto their faces. "What is the matter with you two, setting fire to the chemistry lab? Honestly, I don't know why you two are not expelled yet. Follow me!" And with that, she turned on her heel and walked briskly back the way she came, a smiling Wes and David in tow.

"Who was that?" Kurt asked dumbfounded, as the noise in the dining hall shot up from zero to ten.

"That," Blaine said looking at Kurt, "is the head of the department of science." Blaine shook his head, as he and Kurt walked to their classes. "Wes and David are known for pulling pranks, especially on the teachers when they don't want to do something, like a lab exam."

"Will they be expelled?" Kurt asked walking alongside Blaine, and trying to memorize his schedule at the same time.

"No, they do this all the time. It's expected with them, although they've never set fire to anything before so there's always a first," Blaine added thoughtfully. "Now, you have Math first right?"

"Yeah, Algebra II, and then US History, English, Chemistry, and then a break for lunch, followed by Theatre, my elective," Kurt added smiling, "and then Warbler practice at four."

"Okay, so if you need any help getting anywhere, I don't care if it's to the bathroom, text me and I'll come find you," Blaine said as the two neared Kurt's math room.

"Thank you," Kurt said laughing. "Am I auditioning today for the Warblers?"

"No, you audition Friday, so you still have plenty of time to serenade us with your musical talents," Blaine said smiling, as Kurt flushed crimson and turned into the classroom.

* * *

The morning and afternoon passed by in a blur, and Kurt found himself seated with Blaine on his right, and Jake on his left, as the Warblers prepared for practice later that day.

Wes and David, who got off with yet another warning for their stunt in the chemistry lab, were fighting over who got to sing lead at sectionals. Tom, who sat in between them, suddenly banged his gavel loudly against the desk, and exclaimed "we all agreed that Blaine would be singing the lead two months ago. Now stop arguing like children, and let's get this rehearsal started."

Kurt could feel Blaine smiling next to him, but didn't look to check, out of fear that he would collapse even though he was sitting. Blaine made it even more difficult when he shifted his position so that if

Kurt turned his head, he would have to explain to everyone about the sudden public display of affection. So instead, he wondered what song he would sing on Friday. He knew it would definitely be a musical number, but there were so many, and it would be a tough decision. The council assigned vocals to everyone, and although Kurt wasn't officially a Warbler yet, he enjoyed watching the group of boys rehearse together. They looked like a family to an outsider, and Kurt desperately wanted to belong.

* * *

The next day at lunch Kurt asked Blaine about what Jake meant when he asked 'when are you going to tell him?' Blaine froze in his seat, and Kurt began to worry when the older boy's face went completely white.

"You heard?" He asked quietly.

"I heard you guys talk about something, but I was pretty out of it so all I caught was the ending." Kurt wasn't sure what was going on, but it must have been serious if he caught Blaine off guard.

"Now isn't the right time to tell you, okay?" Blaine said, trying without success to remain calm.

"Is it about me?" Kurt asked concerned again.

"No." Blaine said confidently. He glanced around at the others to see if they were listening. He relaxed noticeably when he realized no one had heard, and turned back to Kurt.

"Ill tell you. Just not now, and not here," Blaine said. He was trying as hard as humanly possible to make Kurt understand with his eyes.

Kurt understood. He smiled and resumed his homework. He wasn't mad at Blaine, but he was curious about the topic and he needed the older boy to know that he could be trusted.

* * *

After they parted for their afternoon classes, Jake stopped Kurt in the hall.

"Hey Kurt, how are you today?" Jake asked falling into step with his roommate.

"Good, I have a lot of homework, and I'm stressing about my audition on Friday, but I'm doing well," Kurt answered, as he squeezed by three juniors who were taking up the whole hall.

"I'm glad." Jake said, he paused and took a breath, then continued, "I overheard you talking to Blaine at lunch about what you heard me say to him."

"Oh, really?" Kurt asked curious.

"Yeah. I just need to know, is that all you heard?"

Kurt glanced at Jake, and realized that whatever Blaine and him discussed was somehow meant only for a handful of people. He answered in the affirmative, and stopped at an open doorway.

"This is my class, so I'll see you later."

"Yeah, okay," Jake said distracted. Kurt watched him sprint down the hall, almost knocking over two boys who were sharing a close hug. He looked at the couple, and wondered briefly, if that would ever be Blaine and him.

* * *

Blaine sat in his chair, answering a text from Jake and slowly trying to calm himself down. Only Jake, Tom and him were in the loop about the secret, and the only reason why they discussed telling Kurt was because somehow, things started getting back to normal when the news of his transfer was final. If Kurt was somehow in danger, Blaine needed to make sure that the younger boy knew what was at stake, and was protected.

He returned to his dorm room later that night to find Kurt sitting on his bed. He stared questioningly at his roommate, who shrugged and explained, "he said he was a friend of your's, so I let him in. I hope it was alright," he added for good measure, as Blaine continued to stare at him.

"Uh..Yeah its fine," he managed to say. Blaine dropped his duffel bag on his chair, and took a seat next to Kurt. His roommate picked out a book from his desk, and left the room.

"I hope it was okay that I came here," Kurt began. "I just wanted to let you know that I respect your privacy, and I'm not going to mention anything to anyone. It's not like I know anything anyway," he concluded looking at Blaine.

"I was just surprised to see you sitting on my bed," Blaine confessed nervously. Why was he getting embarrassed now? He looked down at his hands, and then at Kurt, who was looking anywhere but him.

Blaine took a shaky breath, "I trust you, Kurt." He put a hand on the younger boy's knee, and if the older boy hadn't noticed Kurt's bright red complexion before, the younger boy now felt like there was a sign pointing at him that read, 'look at Kurt, he resembles a cherry tomato!'

The two boys sat awkwardly for another moment, before Blaine asked, "do you know what song you'll sing Friday?"

Kurt waited for this blush to leave his cheeks before answering, "Yeah. I chose it last night while I was trying to sleep."

"Can I hear it?" Blaine asked again. His voice was soft, and he knew that if he tried to speak any louder, his voice would break and he would make a fool out of himself.

Kurt shivered despite his attempted self control, and was amazed to hear himself say, "No, its going to be a surprise for everyone, including you."

Blaine smiled, and thought, '_this is why Kurt amazes me.'_

* * *

Soon afterwards, Kurt left for his room down the hall. In a way, he was glad to leave. He could never think straight when he was around Blaine, no pun intended. He was just about to close his door, when a hand reached out and held it open. Kurt jumped back, and suppressed a startled cry. He opened the door, and saw Tom looking at him. Kurt started to relax until Tom's green eyes began to frantically search his blue ones, as if he was trying to read his mind. "Do you know?" He spat, his heart was pounding, and he could feel the blood rushing to his head. Kurt stepped back, scared, "No, I swear." Tom continued to look at him, and when he felt satisfied Kurt was telling the truth, he leaned against the door frame, and spent a good minuet catching his breath.

"Okay, I'm sorry," he said finally. Tom collected himself, and walked away, tripping twice down the hall.

Kurt slowly closed the door with the older boy's outburst still ringing in his ears. He then turned to see Jake, wide eyed, and staring at him like a deer caught in headlights.

* * *

**Hope you enjoyed it! **

**Tomorrow is another snow day for me, so I may have the third chapter up before Thursday.**

**Reviews are amazing. **


	3. Chapter 3

**Hi everyone!**

**So, here is chapter three!**

**Thank you for everyone who added my story to their alerts, and gave reviews :D**

**I don't own Glee…if I did, there would be a Klaine duet every episode**

**Read and Enjoy!**

A Journey-Chapter 3

* * *

After Tom's outburst, and Jake's shell-shocked face the night before, Kurt had just about had enough. He wondered again what was going on, and why it had to do with him knowing something. Which he didn't because nobody told him anything.

On a happier note, tonight was the big night: his audition for the Warblers, and he did not want to disappoint anyone. He went over his song choice one more time before waking Jake up, and heading out the door.

He didn't see Blaine at all that morning, and decided to text him on his way to math. '_Hi, just wanted to know how you're doing today.'_ He was afraid to ask where he was or what he was doing; he didn't want Blaine to think he was stalking him. Although, some boys might hint that stalking was an understatement.

It was at that moment, that Kurt ran right into the dean of students.

"I am so sorry, Sir," Kurt said, heat rising to his cheeks.

"Don't worry about it, I wasn't paying attention," the dean replied, giving a small chuckle.

Kurt offered him a small smile back, and continued towards the building up ahead, completely unaware that a certain fuming Warbler had witnessed the entire exchange.

* * *

Kurt grew increasingly nervous as the afternoon wore on, and when he still could not reach Blaine, he decided to skip the dining hall, and find a quiet place to sit in the library. He became so engrossed in his theater reading assignment, that he didn't even notice Blaine sit right next to him until the older boy cleared his throat loudly.

The younger boy startled, flushed, smiled, and then grew angry at Blaine for ditching him the entire day. Blaine in turn, watched Kurt's face go through those emotions like he went through wedding magazines: slowly, and in this case, embarrassing.

Blaine decided to take the lead here, and said, "Kurt, I am terribly sorry for ignoring you all day. If it brings you any solace whatsoever, I was with the dean all morning long, which is why I could not answer your text."

Kurt wanted to be mad. He wanted to storm out of the study room, with it's plush sofas and collection of classic European books, but he couldn't. He couldn't because he missed Blaine too much, and even being in the same room with him, calmed the hysteria that was threatening to control him.

So instead, he asked, "are you going to watch me audition?"

Blaine kept his voice steady, but his eyes were betraying him, as he replied, "of course, I wouldn't miss it for the world."

Kurt, in complete denial that Blaine would ever reciprocate his feelings, did not catch the amount of want in the other boy's eyes. However, he did try to calm the shaking in his hands with no luck, and it was only when Blaine took his shaking hands in his steady ones, that the almost Warbler finally relaxed.

* * *

"Alright, let the council come to order," David announced to the restless boys seated around the room. "Today, Kurt Hummel will audition for the opportunity to be a Dalton Warbler." The room exploded with a series of applause and whistles, as Kurt smiled, suddenly nervous again. "Let's not make him wait any longer. Kurt, the floor is your's."

Blaine squeezed Kurt's hand, as the younger boy stood up, and made his way to the front of the room.

_It's now or never_ Kurt thought. He took two deep breaths, and began to sing:

_There is no combination of words I could put on the postcard  
And no song that I could sing, but I can try because this is your heart and this is  
Our dreams and they are made out of real things  
Like a shoebox of photographs with sepia-toned loving  
Love is the answer at least for most of the questions in my heart, like  
Why are we here? And where do we go? And how come it's so hard?  
It's not always easy and sometimes life can be deceiving  
I'll tell you one thing, it's so much better when we're together_

Kurt looked directly at Blaine, and this time, it was the older boy's turn to blush.

_Mmm, so much better when we're together  
Yeh, we'll look at the stars when we're together  
Well it's so much better when we're together  
Yeh, it's so much better when we're together_

Kurt's voice began to climb higher, and he continued:

_All of these moments just might find their way into my dreams tonight  
But I know that they'll be gone when the morning light sings  
Or brings new things for tomorrow night you see  
They'll be gone too, to many things I have to do  
But follow these dreams might find their way into my day to day scene  
I'd be under the impression, I was somewhere in between  
With only two, just me and you, not so many things we got to do  
Or places we got to be, we'll sit beneath the mango tree now_

Blaine kept his eyes on Kurt the entire time, and he realized the song was just as much about the two of them, as it was about Kurt.

_Yeh, so much better when we're together  
Mmm, we're somewhere in between together  
Well, it's so much better when we're together  
Yeh, so much better when we're together_

_I believe in memories because they look so,  
So pretty when I sleep  
And when I wake up you look so pretty sleeping next to me  
But there is not enough time  
And there is no, no song I could sing  
And there is no combination of words I could say  
But I will still tell you one thing  
We're better together  
We so much better when we're together  
We so much better when we're together_

He finished, breathless but smiling, and took comfort in the fact that at least now, Blaine knew how he felt.

* * *

Blaine knocked on Kurt's door later that night. The two had shared smiles and knowing glances throughout dinner, but Blaine wanted to actually talk with Kurt.

The door opened, and the youngest Warbler stood to the side, which allowed Blaine to see that Jake was not in the room.

"Can I-?" Blaine started to ask, but not before Kurt whisked him inside.

Blaine sat on the edge of Kurt's bed, and watched Kurt simultaneously text, coordinate his outfit for tomorrow, and watch a clip of his old glee club singing "Who Am I Living For," by Katy Perry.

Afterwards, Kurt turned to face Blaine, who smiled, and patted the bed next to him. Kurt sat, and he could smell the distinct scent that was Blaine. He decided, then and there, that he wanted to drown in that scent.

"Congratulations, young Warbler," Blaine whispered softly. Kurt looked at him, and slowly leaned his head down until it was resting on the other boy's blazer clad shoulder.

Blaine hardly breathed. For a moment, neither moved and both were afraid of breaking the spell that appeared to be cast on them. Kurt closed his eyes, and slowly melted as the older boy took him in his arms. They sat like that for a while, just enjoying each other's company. Kurt could have drifted off to sleep, his heart was soaring, and he couldn't seem to get close enough to the other boy. Blaine, on the other hand, couldn't seem to get Kurt close enough to him, and he settled for having him pressed against him, his face buried into his neck.

Kurt pulled away to look up at Blaine, who responded by pressing his lips to his forehead. The younger boy nearly swooned, and felt his cheeks color rapidly. Blaine laughed lightly, and stroked his cheek, which only made him blush more.

"I could stay like this forever," Kurt admitted, daring himself to look at the older boy.

Blaine nearly choked with happiness, and sang softly, "'it's so much better when we're together.'"

* * *

Kurt concluded that the past night's events couldn't have been any better, unless of course Blaine had proceeded to profess his love right then and there.

He got up out of bed Saturday morning, spent thirty minuets on his moisturizing routine, and then dressed in the outfit he had chosen yesterday afternoon: a pair of skinny grey jeans, a light blue form-fitting sweater, and his favorite pair of skinny boots to complete the look.

It was obvious that he was dressed to impress, and as he grabbed his coat and scarf, he went to meet the boy he was in love with.

They walked outside, their gloved hands intertwined to keep warm, but mostly for the simple contact. They kept smiling at each other because one would glance at the other, only to make eye contact and look quickly away.

Blaine stepped in front of Kurt, and held his blue gaze with his own. He smiled, eyes smoldering, and then began to sing:

_Live in my house,  
I'll be your shelter,  
Just pay me back  
WIth one thousand kisses  
Be my lover  
and I'll cover you_

Kurt smiled, and took Blaine's hand again as he continued:

_Open your door,  
I'll be your tenant  
Don't got much baggage to lay at your feet  
But sweet kisses I've got to spare  
I'll be there and I'll cover you_

They proceeded to walk down the sidewalk, and sit on the open bench, as they both sang:

_I think they meant it when they said you can't buy love  
Now I know you can rent it  
A new lease you are my love, on life  
Be my life  
_  
Kurt took off half way down the sidewalk, glanced behind, and met back up with Blaine. Singing with Blaine was so much fun, he didn't want to stop.

_Just slip me on,  
I'll be your blanket  
Wherever, whatever, I'll be your coat_

Kurt danced around the older boy as he sang:

_You'll be my King, and I'll be your castle_

Blaine smiled and replied smootly:

_No, you'll be my Queen, and I'll be your moat_

Blaine took Kurt's hand again as they both sang:

_I think they meant it when they said you can't buy love  
Now I know you can rent it  
A new lease you are my love, on life  
All my life_

_I've longed to discover  
Something as true as this is  
_

Both boys danced through the snow, and Blaine walked towards the younger boy singing:

_So with a thousand sweet kisses, I'll cover you,_

_With a thousand sweet kisses, I'll cover you,  
When you're worn out and  
tired, When your heart has expired_

They voices joined together, as they stood barely a foot apart from one another:

_If you're cold and you're lonely  
You've got one nickel only  
With a thousand sweet kisses, I'll cover you,  
With a thousand sweet kisses, I'll cover you_

_Oh, lover,  
I'll cover you,  
Yeah,  
Oh, lover,  
I'll cover you..._

As they finished the song, both Warblers thought there wasn't anywhere else in the entire world they would rather be.

* * *

**The two songs were "Better Together," from Breakfast at Tiffany's (originally sung by Jack Johnson), and "I'll Cover You," from Rent. **

**I loved their duet to "Baby, it's Cold Outside," and I wanted to write them singing together again. I hope that I chose songs that did the character's justice.**

**As of right now, Chris Colfer is scheduled to appear on The Late Show with David Letterman Tuesday, Feb. 8! **

**Reviews make me incredibly happy, so press the button… and review away!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Hi Everyone,**

**I present to you… the fourth chapter!**

**Thank you to everyone who added my story to their alerts, as well as reviewed :D**

**This chapter is significantly longer than the others, and I begin to delve into the plot, with more being revealed later on.**

**Only a few more days till the Super Bowl episode! I will be glued to my TV, watching the McKinley high school glee club give us a thrilling performance.**

**I do not own Glee…however I do own this fanfic, so enjoy!**

**Review, Review, Review**

A Journey-Chapter 4

* * *

Kurt woke up Monday morning, and went through the motions of getting ready, while his mind wandered.

"Hey, Kurt. Are you okay?" Jake asked his dazed roommate, as he left the bathroom.

Kurt was jolted back into the room, and he looked over to see Jake giving him a concerned look.

"Yeah, I'm fine," Kurt said to the other boy, as he slung his duffel bag over his shoulder and walked to the door.

Kurt was better than fine actually. All weekend long his thoughts were with Blaine, and he kept running their duet together over and over in his mind.

He raced down the hall, eager to get to breakfast so he could see him again. Much to Kurt's dismay, Blaine had gone home for the weekend, and he came back so late last night that the younger Warbler was already asleep, despite his best efforts to remain awake.

He entered the dining hall, spotted Blaine, and half ran to see him. The older boy smiled at Kurt's enthusiasm, and noticed that he smelt like lavender, as he reached for his hand. Blaine was so caught up over Kurt's scent, that he was at a loss for words.

The two sat down to eat, and Kurt noticed Wes and David smirking at him and Blaine from the other side of the table. Flushing, Kurt tried to ignore them without luck, and only grew redder when he felt Blaine's hand brush his briefly.

"So, how was your weekend?" Kurt asked, glad that his face was turning back to it's original color.

"Uneventful, and long," Blaine answered looking at the boy sitting next to him, a smile on his lips.

"I'm sorry to hear that," Kurt said, wondering why Blaine felt his weekend was long.

"It was nothing," Blaine replied. "The important thing is that I'm back," he added.

Kurt felt himself melt at those words, and before Blaine could notice the puddle slowly forming at his feet, he quickly recollected himself.

"Kurt?" Blaine asked the younger boy again, as he put a hand on his shoulder.

"What?" The newest Warbler replied, looking at Blaine confused.

The older boy smiled, and repeated, "I asked how your weekend was."

"Oh," Kurt said embarrassed. After a few moments, he realized Blaine wanted a response and he hastily replied, "it was uneventful as well. I did some homework, and talked with Mercedes over skype." He didn't mention that he talked with his best friend about a certain Warbler who continued to invade his thoughts.

Blaine smiled and asked, "how is Mercedes?" He knew that Kurt remained close with his former glee club member, and that it was still hard for him to be away from his friends back home.

"She's great as usual," Kurt replied grinning, as he remembered their conversation. She encouraged him to tell Blaine how he felt because according to her, "_the good looking ones never stay single for long." _

Kurt wasn't sure if he could say those three words to Blaine, as he could barely admit them to himself when he was alone. Those three words weren't meant to be tossed around in conversation; they were used to express deep feelings, and Kurt didn't know if his feelings would be returned. He was after all, in a mentee-mentor relationship, and he didn't want to push anyone away anymore. He was tired of it, and he wanted people to know how he felt because when he kept his feelings inside, they strangled him with the truth. This need to let people know how he felt, and his new discovered want to tell Blaine his feelings were at war with one another, and he didn't think that this particular problem was something he could discuss with his mentor.

He was once again, jolted away from his thoughts when he felt Blaine lay a hand on his shoulder again, gesturing that they should get to class.

He even forgot about his troubles as Blaine took his hand, which incidentally, caused a warm tingly feeling to spread throughout his chest.

* * *

The week continued without fault, and even Wes and David managed to get by without breaking into teacher's offices in search of upcoming exam answers.

Blaine was currently on his way to the library, his duffel bag bursting with homework, when he heard Kurt's voice.

He stopped, and retraced his steps, following the sound of the other boy's voice until he saw him, and nearly spilt the coffee in his hand.

Kurt was standing with his back to Blaine, and from the sound of it, he was in the middle of a heated discussion with the dean about a scholarship. Blaine couldn't pick out individual words, but from what he could hear, Kurt was becoming angrier by the second, while the dean was attempting to calm him down.

Blaine approached the pair, making sure that his shoes clapped loudly on the sidewalk, as he announced loudly, "There you are Kurt, I was looking everywhere for you." He tried to keep himself composed, but his heart was beating rapidly, and adrenaline was rushing through his veins.

The younger boy turned, cheeks pink from frustration, and immediately broke out into the largest grin.

"We'll discuss this in my office later Mr. Hummel," the dean said briskly, before turning on his heel.

Blaine held out the breath he had been holding, and stood in front of Kurt. The younger boy, while still fuming, continued to relax noticeably while Blaine asked, "what was going on?"

Kurt gave an exasperated sigh, rolled his eyes, and said, "the dean was threatening to take away my scholarship because I got a B on an English paper. I explained that I was under a lot of pressure, with my recent audition for the Warblers, as well as other classes, but he didn't care. He said that if my GPA went below a 3.3, my scholarship would be revoked."

"Kurt don't worry about him, and if you need any extra help, I'd be happy to give you a hand," Blaine offered, holding the younger boy's gaze.

Kurt smiled, pointed to Blaine's bulging satchel, and replied, "I think you're the one that's going to need some help."

Blaine just laughed, and lifted the falling strap higher onto his shoulder. "Oh really," he said, eyes twinkling, "you can keep me company then."

Kurt smiled, and fell into step with Blaine, as they made their way to the large oak doors that promised warmth inside.

* * *

The next night at dinner, Kurt and Blaine sat talking about sectionals with Wes, David, Tom, and Jake. Sectionals were right around the corner, and the three council members were scheduling as many rehearsals as they possibly could.

Kurt was excited. Even though he wouldn't be performing with his old glee club, he couldn't wait to see them, and slyly introduce Blaine to his best friends.

Blaine noticed Kurt's excitement, and decided then and there, that he royally sucked as the younger boy's mentor. Kurt's happiness was contagious, and rolled off him like waves on the beach. He smiled, took his hand, and soared when Kurt leaned into him.

It was sometime during the latter portion of dinner, that Kurt noticed one of the freshman Warblers picking at his food. The young boy's eyes were directed at the untouched food on his plate, his skin was an unhealthy pale color, and Kurt did not miss the heavy bags under his eyes.

He nudged Blaine, who followed Kurt's gaze, and said quietly, "that's John, Tom's younger brother." Besides the hair, which was the same color as his older brother's, the two looked nothing alike. Unless of course, the depressed mood that encircled John made up for the distinct difference.

The young boy felt eyes on him, and gazed up at Kurt's concerned blue stare. He looked away almost immediately, and went to stand up, when Tom's hand immediately wrapped around his brother's arm, as he said, "John, you need to eat." He slowly sat down again, and didn't meet anyone's eyes for the rest of the hour.

Only Tom, who kept shooting concerned glances at his brother, and Kurt, whose racing thoughts kept him from eating, seemed to notice that the freshman was not well at all.

* * *

Blaine heard a knock at his door later that night, and walked quietly across the room to answer whoever was on the other side. He opened the door to reveal Kurt who was trying to figure out what to say to the older boy, when Blaine stepped out and motioned for Kurt to follow him.

As they settled on the sofa of the second floor common room, Blaine turned to Kurt and said, "I know what your worried about."

"What happened to John?" Kurt asked.

Blaine shifted in his seat, forming an answer in his head while he looked at the younger boy. "John is recovering from a traumatic experience, and he's been having difficulty readjusting ever since he came back to school."

"What happened?" Kurt asked again. He felt uncomfortably warm, and his palms were sweaty, something was not right.

Blaine licked his dry lips and replied, "it's not for me to say. Tom is looking after him, and the only thing that the rest of us can do is be there to support John."

"Blaine." Kurt said slowly, "that boy is not well. I don't even know him, but I can tell that he needs more help than Tom can give him."

The older boy closed his eyes, and Kurt was shocked when a tear ran down Blaine's cheek.

"I know," Blaine's voice wavered, and he took a shuddering breath to calm himself.

Kurt eyes watered. He had never seen Blaine look so fragile, and he wanted to take the older boy in his arms, and tell him that everything was going to be okay.

"It kills me," Blaine whispered, "to see that boy lose more of himself every single day."

The two boys were quiet for a minuet. Blaine was mulling his thoughts over, and choosing his words carefully, while Kurt sat processing the information Blaine was feeding him.

"He did receive help, and he's on medication, but your right, its not enough," Blaine said simply. The entire situation disgusted him, and he was furious at so many people for doing nothing to help.

Kurt knew that asking if there was anything he could do to help wasn't going to get him anywhere. So, he concluded that he was going to talk to John himself.

* * *

After a particularly long Warbler's rehearsal, Kurt walked over to John who was bending down to pick up his satchel. The young boy looked exhausted; his eyes, which were a startling golden color, sported deep bags, making them appear bruised from farther away. His uniform was wrinkled, and he looked at the empty chair next to him longingly.

"Can I walk with you?" Kurt asked the freshman. He knew that Blaine was staring at him from across the room, but he didn't want to look at him for fear of what he might see. There wasn't any reason why Kurt couldn't go up to another boy and ask him how he was, especially if that boy was having trouble standing on his own two feet.

"Sure, I'm headed to my dorm," John said. The two boys left the rehearsal room, and went outside in the direction of the dining hall. "I live over there," he said, pointing to the building behind the dining hall.

They reached the building, and John held the door open for the startled boy who looked questioningly at him.

"I figured you wanted to talk to me, so I'll put my things away, and we can go down to the common room."

Kurt nodded, as he followed the other boy to the end of the hall, and stopped behind him at the third door from the end. He waited patiently as Jake put his stuff away, and then they made their way to the common room.

They sat down next to a window, and Kurt watched as the young boy sank happily into the cushions.

"You want to know what happened," John said. He looked out the window at a tree whose gnarled branches were covered with heavy snow. "I would come to this sofa and stare at that tree for hours when I needed to get away from everything," he continued. "I feel like that tree sometimes. The weight of that snow presses on it's branches, but it continues to reach up despite everything.

Kurt listened to the boy describe his feelings, and realized that he understood John, just like Blaine understood him.

"I'm not going to tell you what happened, at least not right now. It's too difficult for me to even think about, and I'm just barely holding on."

Kurt nodded, and gave John a smile. "I understand, and if you need someone to talk too, I'll listen."

"Don't you have your own demons?" John asked lightly.

"I do, but everyone does, and some demons are worse than others," Kurt answered.

John smiled, and he felt himself overcome with emotion at Kurt's kindness. He decided, that the older boy was one more person he could trust, and trust was one step closer to feeling okay.

They said goodbye a little later, and Kurt made John promise to talk to him if he needed too. John agreed, and as he watched Kurt walk back down to his own dorm, he looked up at his tree, and smiled.

* * *

Jake was waiting for Kurt to return after Blaine said Kurt left Warbler practice with John. Although he didn't know much about his roommate, he did know that Kurt was a caring person, and would've eventually picked up on John's depression at some point.

Blaine hadn't text him with any news, so he assumed that both Kurt and John were okay for the moment.

He remembered the incident with more clarity than he wished, as well as the events that occurred afterwards. Tom hardly spoke with the junior Warblers before, but after Blaine and Jake told Tom what they had witnessed, he kept coming to them for advice on how to help his younger brother. Both boys knew that Tom blamed himself, and as normal as that was, he now took it upon himself to be the perfect brother. John didn't need a perfect brother though, he just needed a brother who was there for him, but nonetheless, Tom continued to beat himself up over what happened.

Kurt opened the door at that moment, and Jake shot up from his bed, phone in hand ready to call Blaine. The younger boy was okay though, and proceeded to go through his talk with John, finally concluding that he still didn't know what happened.

"Are you okay?" Jake asked Kurt, who was busy staring off into space.

"Yeah, he just reminds me of me," Kurt replied, grabbing his English book from his bag in hopes of having the reading done before class.

Jake laughed, and said, "that's what Blaine said about you."

Kurt felt his stomach dip, and his heart flip at those words. He liked Blaine and John, but he felt butterflies in his stomach whenever the older boy walked into the room, or smiled at him, or laughed, or did anything really, and while he cared about John, it was more like a budding friendship than anything romantic. He heard himself say, "oh," before climbing into bed to read Sylvia Plath.

* * *

_ "He doesn't feel the same way," _Kurt reminded himself as Blaine's shoulder bumped his lightly on the way to class.

They stopped at the doorway, and Blaine asked, "is everything okay?"

Kurt smiled, "of course." His brain was screaming no, but if he actually said that, then Blaine would ask why, and Kurt just couldn't tell him the truth.

Blaine looked at Kurt carefully, aware that he was hiding something, but said okay, and reached up to touch the younger boy's carefully styled hair. Normally, Kurt would fly into a rage if someone so much as looked at his hair, but he held his breath, as he felt Blaine's fingers on his head.

Blaine gave a breath-taking smile, and half pushed Kurt inside the classroom as students began to take their seats, involuntarily ready for class.

The younger boy took his seat, and tried to control his breathing, as he watched Blaine walk down the hall to his first class.

The morning went by without incident, but as Kurt entered his fourth class that day, his teacher called him up to the front of the room.

"The dean would like to see you, dear," she said kindly.

"Oh, okay," Kurt replied, as he copied down the homework from the board, and walked out the room.

He remembered his conversation with the dean regarding his scholarship, and he _almost _prayed that he got to keep it. It was only one B, surely his GPA didn't drop that much from one B.

He opened the door to the faculty offices, and walked down the hall until he came to the dean's office. He knocked twice before the door opened, and the dean ushered him inside.

"Good morning, Mr. Hummel. Please, have a seat," the dean said, gesturing towards one of the empty chairs in front of the desk.

Kurt took a seat, and looked around the office, as the dean searched for his file. The office was small, the mahogany desk was situated at the far end of the room, while two chairs sat facing it. There were two windows: one behind the desk overlooking a courtyard, and another to the right of it which showed a clear view of the main sidewalk. There were two bookshelves against the remaining walls, and a dozen awards were hung around the room.

The dean sat back in his chair, and thumbed through the pages until he found what he was looking for, and pulled out the paper that had given Kurt so much trouble over the past few days.

"Sir, how did that get in my file?" Kurt asked, eyeing the paper that was clearly the original, and then looking at the dean questioningly.

The man didn't answer. He put it down on the desk in front of him, cleared his throat, and then looked at the anxious boy.

"This kind of grade just won't do, Mr. Hummel," the dean proclaimed, giving Kurt a disappointed look.

"Sir," Kurt repeated, "that was a paper grade, not the final grade to the course."

The dean put the paper back in Kurt's file, and said, "I understand that. However, one poor paper grade can very well lead to a poor course grade." He looked at Kurt, and continued, "in order to ensure that you do well in your first semester here, I am going to request that you attend a series of tutor sessions every Tuesday for the next month."

Kurt stared in disbelief, and then horror as he realized that the Warblers met every Tuesday. "Sir, I believe you know that every Tuesday afternoon there is Warbler practice, and-"

"Warbler practice will just have to wait," the dean interrupted him. "You need your scholarship to remain a student here. I'm sure you haven't forgotten," the man reminded him curtly.

Kurt didn't need reminding. The money that his Dad and Carole had saved up was enough to cover this semester's tuition, but not the added boarding and meal expenses as well. Kurt's academics earned him a scholarship which covered the remaining balance, but he needed to maintain a specific GPA in order to reap it's benefits.

"You will attend the tutoring sessions for an hour every week, until I see an improvement in your work. I know you can't see it now, but you will thank me in due time."

Kurt glared at him, his blue eyes like ice, as he was excused to leave. He could not believe it, and he didn't. This wasn't about his grade, he was sure of it. He checked his phone for the time, and read the latest text from Blaine. His features softened, and he typed out a quick response, as he went to go meet him.

They sat down as Kurt explained his misfortune to the older Warbler who was listening intently. There were a few other boys in the room, and they glanced up from their work while Kurt retold what happened.

"I think though," Kurt finished, "that he set up the tutoring sessions at the same time as Warbler practice on purpose. Does he have something against the Warblers?"

Blaine's face turned white, and Kurt was thinking that this was the second time that had happened.

"Blaine?" Kurt asked, reaching out and taking the older boy's hand. "What's wrong?"

Blaine swore under his breath, and replied, "the dean tutors the students on Tuesdays."

"Well, that's going to ruin my Tuesday afternoons," Kurt said annoyed. Blaine seemed to struggle with some deep emotion, and Kurt began to worry again as Blaine held his face in his free hand in an attempt to compose himself.

"Kurt, you and I are going to go see Wes, David, and Tom so you can continue to rehearse for sectionals, afterwards we are going to go to lunch, and I am going to tell you a little story concerning our dean."

With that last remark, the two boys went to track down the senior council members; Blaine struggling against the fire in his chest, while Kurt continued to decipher the hidden meaning that had proceeded to fly right over his head.

* * *

**And that's a wrap for this chapter! **

**I'll try to have the next one up before the Valentine's day episode.**

**Has everyone seen the upcoming performances from the Dalton Warblers singing "Bills, bills, bills," and "When I get you Alone?" If not, head on over to YouTube and PerezHilton.**

**The review button feels very unwanted, so show it that you care!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Hi Everyone!**

**This chapter is by far the longest one I have written, mostly because there's some questions I need to clear up… and I've got to get the Warblers over to sectionals.**

**I think story alerts have officially taken over my inbox, thank you everyone, I give you all cyber hugs.**

**I am extremely excited to see a second episode this week of lovely Klaine tonight! Hopefully there is some major developments, and I am very interested to see who else is in on this love triangle.**

**I do not own Glee…however, if Ryan Murphy and the other writers ever get tired, I will gladly take business into my own hands **

**Read and Enjoy!**

A Journey-Chapter 5

* * *

John strode across his room to get the door, while his friend Brian sat on the bed flipping through the cable channels.

"Hey John, can I come in?" Tom asked. He walked into his brother's room as John gestured to him, and joined Brian on the double bed.

Tom liked his brother's friend. He was one of the only people who spent time with John, as well as lifted his sprits. Brian was also a Warbler, and the senior knew that the two boys would remain friends long after he graduated that spring.

"Do you think that you could step out for a minuet while I talk with John?" Tom asked.

Brian nodded, and after making plans to meet up with his friend later in the evening, left the room.

Tom patted the bed next to him, and John sat down, ready for another talk.

"The situation is getting out of hand again. Only now, Kurt is involved, and Blaine wants to tell him as soon as possible."

John was silent for a moment, mulling Tom's statement over in his mind. There was going to be another talk, but this time, Kurt would be in on it as well. "What happened?" he asked.

"Kurt will be receiving tutoring sessions from the dean every Tuesday for the time being," Tom answered.

John felt sick. He would not let Kurt's life fall apart like his had, it just wasn't fair. "Do you want me to come too?" he asked finally.

"Only if you want too, I just needed to give you a heads up before we went ahead and warned Kurt."

"Who's we?" The younger boy asked.

"Blaine, Jake and I," Tom answered.

He watched as John seemed to be forming a decision, the wheels churning in his head were almost noticeable.

"When are you going to tell him?"

"Tonight, after dinner. You don't have to decide right now, there's still time," he told his brother.

"I want to go. We understand each other, and I want to support him," John said, his mind made up. It would be scary, but if he had the opportunity to help someone else, then maybe it wouldn't be so bad after all.

"You haven't told him, have you?" Tom asked, looking at his brother.

"Told who?" John replied, already knowing the answer.

"Brian. He's worried about you," the older boy said.

"I don't want to push him away," John answered, his voice sullen. "I don't want him to hate me for not realizing what was happening sooner."

Tom inhaled sharply, "nobody would have been able to realize what happened any sooner than you." He calmed himself, and added softly, "he will not hate you, and you will not push him away."

John's lips pulled up in a small smile, and he whispered, "thank you," as his eyes filled up with tears.

* * *

Kurt, Blaine, Tom, Jake and John were all sitting in Blaine's room. Wes and David swore loudly after Blaine had told them about Kurt's tutoring situation, and left to go talk with the dean five minuets later.

"I will tell you what happened, and only because I think the situation is reaching a boiling point," Blaine told Kurt.

Kurt was almost glad that the older boy was finally going to tell him what everyone's deal was, but he was also kind of afraid. His eyes shifted to John who was sitting with his brother, trying desperately to make himself disappear.

"There is a rumor among the students that the dean can be too forward with some of the boys," Blaine said carefully.

Kurt's eyes widened, and he gestured for Blaine to continue.

"About two months ago, Jake and I were on our way to dinner, when we saw the dean making inappropriate advances towards John." Kurt glanced at the boy whose cheeks were reddening, as he began to shift uncomfortably in his seat. Blaine continued, "the dean saw us and quickly left. Jake wanted to go after him, but I convinced him to stay and help me with John. We found Tom, and filled him in on what happened, who called his parents and waited for them in the parking lot. His parents came, and pulled them both out of school. Tom returned a week later, but John didn't come back until last month."

Kurt's heart was in his throat, and he felt sick as he asked, "why is the dean still here?"

"John and Tom's parents are extremely powerful politicians, and the dean is a close family friend," Blaine replied looking at Kurt's pale expression.

The younger boy closed his eyes in disbelief as he heard Blaine say, "the dean

makes large contributions to their parents when a new election occurs, and he has the power to bring them down. So, they settled the 'miscommunication,'" Blaine sneered the word, "with another payment."

"Why didn't they go to the administrators?" Kurt asked, "why didn't they push for a transfer request for the dean, or for John?"

"The dean is the administrator to go too when any problems arise, and they didn't push for a transfer because that wasn't part of the arrangement. John's parents agreed to remain quiet, and the dean agreed to leave John alone. However, they wouldn't move their son to another school because the education at Dalton is, 'invaluable.'"

John snickered at Blaine's comment, and Kurt wondered how it must have been for the younger boy to be advanced on in such a way, and then have to come back to the same school because his parents were more concerned with their social status than their son's safety.

"If it makes you feel better," John told Kurt, "he doesn't so much as look in my direction anymore."

Blaine nodded and said, "That man does what he wants, and he's not well liked by the students or the other faculty. I was on edge when I noticed him talking with you because he cannot be trusted."

Kurt processed Blaine's words slowly, and looked at the other boys in the room before concluding, "and now he's starting to advance on me."

Blaine watched as the younger boy's features changed drastically. Kurt was fuming in front of him, and he had never seen him more flustered.

Kurt was enraged, but before he could begin spitting fire, Blaine put a hand on his shoulder, and said to the others, "I think I need to talk with Kurt alone"

The others stood up, Tom's arm was around his brother, while Jake walked behind them. Blaine waited until they closed the door, and then said, "talk to me Kurt."

Kurt just laughed, his mouth contorting in a snarl, as he said in a fury, "I transfer to this school to get away from the bullies, but I still have to deal with the harassment anyway! Is there something wrong with me? Do I have a sign plastered to my back?" His voice had risen shrilly, and there was a lump forming in the back of his throat.

Blaine wasn't sure if he would make the situation worse by holding the younger boy, but he did it anyway in a split second decision. His arms formed a protective cocoon around Kurt, and he pressed his lips to the other boy's head. The younger boy felt himself mold to Blaine's side, as one lone tear escaped, and ran down his cheek.

* * *

Blaine had slept in Kurt's room that night. Both boys hadn't planned it, but the older boy was afraid to leave him alone, after what they had discussed earlier that evening.

Kurt woke up early to see Blaine curled around him, his eyes closed, fluttering with sleep. He thought about John, and made a mental note to ask him how he was doing later that day. He was angry and sad, but instantly hopeful as he realized that he could expose the dean. He wasn't sure how he was going to do it yet, and he decided to keep his new idea from Blaine, until he could formulate a working plan.

For now, he turned into the sleeping boy beside him, and drifted into unconsciousness with his hands pressed to Blaine's back.

* * *

Over the weekend, Kurt found out from Wes and David that he could attend Warbler's practices until sectionals. He wasn't exactly sure how they persuaded the dean to give him the next Tuesday with the other boys, but he wasn't going to complain.

At the present moment, he was lounging on his bed, about to get ready to go and talk with John. He was a little anxious, but he wanted to get to know him better. He proceeded to shower, moisturize, and get dressed, which surprisingly only took two hours. He grabbed his coat, and made his way across campus to meet up with the freshman Warbler.

"Hi," Kurt said, taking a seat beside John on the couch.

John smiled, "how are you."

"Good," Kurt replied, shrugging out of his coat. "How are you?"

"I'm doing alright," John answered, watching as Kurt draped his coat over the armchair.

Kurt turned to look at him, and noticed that he looked healthier; the bags under his eyes were less pronounced, and his eyes were gleaming.

The older boy smiled, and asked if anything happened last night. John grinned, and said, "I finally told my friend Brian what happened, and he was very supportive."

Kurt nodded happily, "that's great. I'm happy that you can talk about what happened with him."

John nodded, but remained silent, his eyes focused on a pattern in the carpet. "Why did you want to talk with me?" he asked finally.

"I think I just want to know how you're doing, and how you feel about what's currently happening," Kurt said simply.

"Truthfully, I didn't see it coming. I was blind, and in the end, that's what got me into this mess. I walk around with blinders on, and I can't seem to take them off and actually see people. And, before you say that it's not my fault, I know, I just feel like if I wasn't so thick headed my life would be a little easier," John admitted, flushing at his honesty.

"Being aware that you walk around with blinders on, is a good way to finally taking them off," Kurt told him.

"That's what Tom has been telling me, but I still can't seem to become aware of it when it actually happens," John said. "I feel like a failure at high school, and I only just got here," he finished.

"You aren't a failure, and you're also not alone in that feeling," Kurt said.

He usually wasn't the one offering warm words of wisdom to other people, but the younger boy seemed to soak up his words like a sponge. "Thank you," he replied.

Kurt smiled, and glanced up at the passing figure in the hall who had caught his eye. He felt his heart swell with excitement when he realized the boy was Blaine. He heard John chuckle quietly beside him, and turned to look at they younger boy with wide eyes.

"Does he know yet?" John asked playfully, looking at Blaine's retreating figure until he disappeared down the stairs.

Kurt was about to deny anything, but he thought against it, and said, "no, and unfortunately for me, we're still just friends."

"Better get a move on then," John teased, smiling up at Kurt who was slowly turning an embarrassing shade of crimson.

It was Kurt's turn to stare at the carpet, as he replied, "I don't think he feels the same way."

John scoffed, and rolling his eyes said, "I beg to differ." He laughed again, and added, "you do realize that you're the only one Blaine flirts with on a daily basis, right?"

Kurt met John's golden stare incredulously, and then proceeded to deny, "he does not!"

"Okay," he replied sarcastically, eyes dancing, as he laughed again. "You just wait, I bet the next time you see him, he'll do it again. He doesn't even realize he's doing it now, it's as natural for him as singing."

Kurt just smiled at the younger boy, but inside his heart was thrumming, and he realized right then, that he missed Blaine with a passion, even though he woke up with him that morning!

"What about you?" Kurt asked, smoothly changing the subject from him to the other boy, "anyone that you're interested in?"

John smiled, and replied, "not at the moment. Although Tom is convinced I like Brian, even though I've explained that we're just friends."

Kurt laughed, and asked, "is Brian gay?"

"Not at the moment," John answered, smiling at Kurt's confused look, as he continued, "he'll switch from gay to straight whenever he feels like he needs a change. Tom and I have both begged him to just declare himself bi because it gets extremely confusing being around him for any length of time, but he just laughs and says switching his sexuality is more fun."

Kurt laughed again, as he pictured John's friend in his mind. He seemed like a really fun person to be around, and Kurt was glad once again that John had someone like Brian in his life.

* * *

When he got back to his room, Kurt read his latest text from Blaine asking him how his talk with John went. He text him asking where he was, and then left his room to go meet with the older boy.

Blaine watched Kurt carefully as the younger boy made his way over, and took a seat next to him. They were in the second floor common room again, and Kurt noticed that Blaine had been finishing his homework.

The lead Warbler closed his notebook and set it on the table before asking, "how did everything go?"

"It went alright," Kurt answered, struggling to find the right words. He was seeing things from a different perspective now, and the younger boy realized that as long as he was surrounded by people, he would continue to encounter problems along the way.

Blaine tilted his head slightly, and said, "there wasn't anything we could do."

"That's where you're wrong," Kurt told Blaine softly. "Even if John's parents did nothing to protect their son, think about the other students."

"I did," Blaine said soberly. "I watch that man like a Hawk to make sure that he doesn't go near anybody else, and that's why when I noticed how he acted around you, I needed to let you know. I don't want anything to happen to you, Kurt," he added.

Kurt felt himself flush, and he looked up at Blaine, who was staring back with a warm smile.

"I can expose him," Kurt announced quietly.

"It's not that easy Kurt," Blaine said slowly.

"Yes, it is," Kurt argued. "It it is that simple, I can march right on up to the president's office, which I found is right next door to the dean, and I can tell her what's going on at her school."

"You don't think I tried that?" Blaine asked quietly incredulous. "John and Tom's parents spoke with her as well, and made her believe that it was all just a misunderstanding," he continued."

"John didn't say anything to her?" Kurt asked.

"No. Like I said before, it's all about appearances, and John accusing the dean of sexual harassment is going to stir up controversy for his politically motivated parents."

"Well now," Kurt began slowly, "it's not about John. It's about me, and I think that after two instances of suspect harassment, the president is bound to listen."

"I think that it's a good idea to tell her, I just don't want the dean to cause you any more trouble," Blaine said. "She will hold a meeting with the both of you separately and then together with your father present, to clear up any misconceptions and make a decision about the situation."

"Okay," Kurt said. "Whatever has to happen to get him out of this school. I am tired of people getting away with stuff wherever I go."

Blaine nodded, and said, "if it's alright, I would like to go with you when you talk to her."

Kurt smiled, and wondered if Blaine was always this gentleman-like, while he thought of how to bring up the next topic.

"I've been thinking about putting on a performance with the rest of the Warblers for John," Kurt said.

"Really? What did you have in mind?" Blaine asked curiously.

Kurt shared his idea with Blaine who listened intently, and voiced his approval on the song choice. A half hour later, Blaine was texting the three council members, and an unexpected meeting was made.

* * *

"Brian, could you please explain to me why your dragging me down to the rehearsal room on a Sunday night?" John asked his friend, as he was literally being pulled along to the surprisingly crowded room. All of the Warblers were standing together with Tom, Blaine and Kurt in the front, grinning when they saw Brian come in with a confused looking John.

Kurt stepped forward and said, "I wanted to put on this performance for you, and the rest of the guys agreed that it was a good idea."

Brian pushed his friend onto the sofa before going to the front of the room to join the other boys, and with that, Tom began to sing:

_You're not alone  
together we stand  
I'll be by your side  
you know i'll take your hand  
when it gets cold  
and it feels like the end  
there's no place to go you know i won't give in  
no I won't give in._

John looked at his brother with tears in his eyes, and smiled as the other boys sung the chorus with the senior:

_Keep holding on  
cause you know we'll make it through, we'll make it through  
just stay strong  
cause you know I'm here for you, I'm here for you  
there's nothing you can say, nothing you can do  
there's no other way when it comes to the truth  
so keep holding on  
cause you know we'll make it through, we'll make it through_

The other boy's voices dropped off as Tom once again sang the second verse. Kurt was smiling as Tom walked up to his brother:

_So far away i wish you were here  
before it's too late this could all disappear  
before the doors close, and it comes to an end  
but with you by my side I will fight and defend  
I'll fight and defend  
yeah yeah  
_

The Warblers joined in for the chorus once more. Their voices harmonized together, and they seemed to be singing in two groups, one leading, while the other followed:

_Keep holding on  
cause you know we'll make it through, we'll make it through  
just stay strong  
cause you know I'm here for you, I'm here for you  
there's nothing you can say, nothing you can do  
there's no other way when it comes to the truth  
so keep holding on  
cause you know we'll make it through, we'll make it through_

Kurt joined Tom for the third verse, his voice rising as he sang in clear soprano:

_Hear me when I say, when I say  
I believe nothings gonna change, nothings gonna change destiny  
whatever is meant to be will work out perfectly  
yeah yeah yeah yeah  
ladadada,ladadada,ladadadadadadadadada...  
_

The two boys were united one last time by the remaining Warblers, and once again their voices harmonized. Tom sang the single notes, while the others sang through the other lines, their voices lingering on the last word:

_Keep holding on  
cause you know we'll make it through, we'll make it through  
just stay strong  
cause you know I'm here for you, I'm here for you  
there's nothing you can say, nothing you can do  
there's no other way when it comes to the truth  
so keep holding on  
cause you know we'll make it through, we'll make it through_

_Keep holding on  
Keep holding on_

_There's nothing you can say, nothing you can do  
There's no other way when it comes to the truth  
So keep holding on  
Cause you know we'll make it through, we'll make it Through_

John was a mix of emotions, and he was immediately pulled into hugs and given pats on the back from the other boys. Most of the Warblers were unaware of the meaning behind the performance, but they were happy to help out the freshman Warbler in any way possible. Tom and Brian smothered him, and Kurt gave him a warm hug when John wriggled free from his brother's arms. It was a very emotional moment, and both John and Kurt knew that whatever happened here on out, they had support and were surrounded by people who cared.

* * *

Kurt accompanied the Warblers for one more rehearsal before sectionals that Tuesday afternoon, and he dreaded the next week's first tutoring session. He had planned to meet with the president Monday after class only to find out that she was away on an emergency. So for the time being, he was still scheduled for a private tutoring session with the dean, but Blaine had informed him that he planned to accompany him next week.

The council called the Warblers to order, and began the meeting, as Wes said, "we've all done a really great job with rehearsals these past few weeks, and David and Tom agreed that we'll practice once more today and then call it quits."

The room erupted in cheers and conversation as the boys talked about what they were going to do after the meeting. David banged his Gavel loudly to get the boys' attention back to the task at hand, before saying, "alright everyone, from the top."

Kurt thought that practice had gone well. He stood relatively close to Blaine the entire time, and he kept going over the older boy's request to accompany him for coffee afterwards. He immediately answered yes, perhaps a little too quickly because Blaine looked taken aback for a second before he broke out into the hugest smile, and placed his hand on Kurt's back. The younger Warbler found it difficult to keep up with his steps and sing when Blaine kept catching his eye every now and then to give him a warm smile, and he nearly fainted when Blaine winked at him while singing, "'and so I went and let you blow my mind.'"

* * *

The two Warblers settled themselves at a table for two in a local coffee shop ten minuets from the school, cups of steaming coffee on the table before them.

Blaine laughed as Kurt raised his foam cup to his lips, blew at the steam, took a sip, and then put it back down saying, "wow that is hot!" The older boy was a regular coffee drinker, and therefore he knew better than to drink in the first five minuets, but Kurt just scowled playfully and focused on keeping his pulse at a healthy resting rate.

Are you excited for sectionals?" Blaine asked Kurt nonchalantly while he struggled to remain sitting in his chair. The sun had caught the younger boy's eyes which only made their crystal blue color more pronounced; it was like staring at a beach in the Bahamas.

"Yeah, I'm a little nervous, but I'm happy that I get to perform with you. Guys," Kurt answered, adding the last word hurriedly. If the younger boy wasn't nervous before, he was certainly nervous now. Why would he say that? He felt like an idiot, and to top it off, his cheeks were burning an attractive shade of scarlet.

Blaine just smiled over his coffee, and Kurt looked up to see that he was blushing, as he said, "I'm happy to perform with you too."

Kurt stared at him, a look of disbelief coloring his expression as his heart proceeded to jump around in his rib cage, and his hand flew to his chest just to make sure that his heart was in deed still in the correct spot. He continued to look at the older boy, and he wondered why he was so perfect. It wasn't that his uniform was neatly pressed, or that his hair was flawless, or that his eyes sparkled, it was in his personality. The manner that he carried himself, and how he behaved with other people. Kurt knew that Blaine cared about him, but he didn't allow himself to think anything than that, or to pick apart the many times he had bluntly flirted with him.

Blaine was mentally cursing himself, as he processed Kurt's shocked expression. He watched him drink his coffee, and he wondered if maybe he had been too blunt with the younger boy. But then he saw Kurt give a dazzling smile, and knew in that moment, that they were okay. He reached across the table to take Kurt's free hand in his own, and saw his eyes widen in surprise. Nevertheless, neither boy moved, until Blaine saw tears welling in Kurt's eyes, and he asked, "why are you crying?"

Kurt laughed at the sudden emotion, and answered, "I'm just happy to be with you."

Blaine's eyes flickered, and he felt his heart swell with joy. He was overcome with a sudden rush of emotion, and all he wanted to do at that moment was take Kurt in his arms. For now, he settled by saying, "I'm having a good time as well."

A little while later they got up to leave the shop, hands still intertwined, and neither made any effort to separate. Blaine held the door open for the younger boy, who smiled as he walked out into the cold. Kurt rubbed his hands together as he pulled on his gloves, and was elated when Blaine took his hand again. They walked along the sidewalk for a little bit until the older boy suddenly stopped, and Kurt had to let go of his hand quickly so he wouldn't be jerked backwards.

"Blaine?" He asked tentatively, turning back to the older boy.

The lead Warbler gave Kurt an agonized look, and the younger boy stared at him in concern as he took his hand. "I'm sorry," Blaine said.

"What are you sorry about?" Kurt asked, but before he could get an answer, Blaine reached for him and pulled him into an embrace. He stood still for a moment, gauging Kurt's response, and he sighed noticeably when he felt the younger boy wrap his arms around his back, and press his face into his neck.

* * *

"We're here," Blaine said to Kurt who was sleeping beside him as their bus pulled into the parking lot for sectionals.

Kurt had grown remarkably anxious throughout the Warbler's two hour ride for their big event, and Blaine had convinced him to take a nap, which surprisingly he did. It wasn't the actual performance that had the younger boy worried, but how he would keep Mercedes from 'accidentally' letting slip that he was in fact head over heels in love with Blaine.

The Warblers made their way inside the already packed theatre, and Blaine led Kurt to the food court as Wes, David and Tom signed them all in.

Kurt didn't see Mercedes until after the first performance, when they had both preceded to run right into each other on their way to the rest rooms. She squealed when she saw who had scared her half to death, and she pulled him into the adjoining hallway to give him a hug.

"Oh my god, white boy! I haven't seen you in forever, where is your boyfriend?" she asked breathlessly while simultaneously looking around to see if Blaine was busy lurking in the shadows.

Kurt laughed at her excited expression, and saw her raise her eyebrow in disbelief as he said, "he's not my boyfriend Mercedes."

"Could have fooled me," she replied. "When do I get to meet him?"

They were interrupted as Kurt felt his phone beep with a text from Blaine, letting him know that they were performing in ten minuets.

"I have to go, it's almost time for the Warblers to perform," Kurt said, dodging her question.

Mercedes didn't let it go, and just continued, "if I have to break into the Warbler's room to meet this guy, I will."

Kurt sighed and turning to leave said, "I'll introduce you two after our performance."

"I'm looking forward to it," she said, eyes gleaming, as they exchanged one more hug.

Kurt hurried to meet Blaine and the others who were getting ready to take their places behind the curtain on stage.

"Are you ready?" Blaine asked him.

"Yes," Kurt said as the announcer said their name, and the curtain was pulled back.

Blaine gave him a warm smile, as they began to sing. Kurt thought everything went well, but he struggled to get into character as Blaine openly flirted with him in front of the audience. To make matters worse, he knew Mercedes would be coming to see the older boy, and he needed to make sure that his secret crush remained a secret.

"You did really good," Blaine said to Kurt who was still flushed from singing.

The two made their way down the stairs, but before Kurt could say anything Mercedes bounded right to them with a huge grin on her face. The younger Warbler wasn't sure how she had escaped from the rest of the McKinley glee club, but Kurt was thankful because he was sure that Rachel would have made an even bigger scene than Mercedes was sure to do.

"You were amazing," she said to Kurt before turning to the boy beside him and giving him a smile while saying, "and you must be Blaine."

Kurt laughed nervously and said, "yes, Blaine this is Mercedes, and Mercedes this is Blaine."

The lead Warbler gave a polite greeting, which only made the girl standing in front of them let out a huge laugh that had people down the hall turning their heads.

"He's such a gentleman, I can see why you like him Kurt," she said.

The younger boy stared at her, his blue eyes wide, while his cheeks flushed. Blaine however proceeded to turn every shade of red imaginable which the boy standing next to him missed completely.

"Yes, Mercedes, he's a great friend," Kurt said, emphasizing the word friend and trying desperately not to run down the hall in shame.

Blaine glanced quickly at him for a moment before adding, "yes, we're really good friends."

Mercedes didn't miss his disappointed look, and rolled her eyes at their blunt stupidity. She then linked her arms through both of theirs and pulled them down the hall to show off Kurt's almost boyfriend to the other girls.

This was what Kurt was trying to avoid as he saw the others give the trio huge smiles, and wink at the younger boy when they thought Blaine wasn't paying attention. The truth was, the older boy was extremely embarrassed as the McKinley girls fawned over him and he did not miss Quinn whisper to Mercedes, "is he the boy Kurt talks about?"

As they said their goodbyes and made their way back up the hall to their room, Kurt said, "I'm sorry about them, their just really excited to meet the people I go to school with."

Blaine smiled and replied, "I like them. They look out for you, and it's good to know that they care."

Kurt blushed as they entered their room and took a seat next to Jake, who was deep in conversation with the Warbler sitting on his left. Ten minuets later they headed down to watch the last performance, and Blaine pulled Kurt along to sit next to him.

The lights dimmed and the younger boy was so excited to see his old glee club perform, that he didn't even notice Blaine smiling at him. The older boy loved to see Kurt happy, and he made a mental note to make sure that the younger boy smiled like that again.

What seemed like five minuets later, Kurt found himself standing on the stage once more as the man in the center of the stage announced that they were going to regionals. All around him was chaos as the Warblers cheered, and the reality of the moment sunk in: he was on his way to regionals. He was so elated that he almost wasn't sure if Blaine's lips on his head was real or not, but when he saw Mercedes wink at him, he knew it was real.

They made their way to the bus, and as they rode back to Dalton, Kurt was grinning like the rest of the boys, but for an entirely different reason.

* * *

Kurt was walking slowly down the hall to his first tutoring session, clutching Blaine's hand so hard his knuckles were turning white. He stopped halfway down the hall, and said, "thank you for walking me here."

Blaine just stared at him and said seriously, "Kurt, I'm staying with you."

The older boy watched as Kurt gave him a faint smile, and he reached to wipe away the tear that had fallen down the younger boy's cheek. "Really?" he asked Blaine hopefully.

"Really. I am not going to leave you alone with him, and the president is coming back tomorrow, which means this will be your first and last session with that man," Blaine said smiling.

Kurt just looked at him unable to speak, and he was startled as Tom came down the hall towards them.

"I didn't miss anything right?" the senior asked looking from Blaine to a teary eyed Kurt.

"Nope, just getting started," Blaine said, holding out his hand for Kurt to take.

The younger boy took a deep breath before walking hand in hand through the open door with Blaine at his side.

"Good afternoon Mr. Hummel," the dean said with his back to Kurt.

Blaine just gave the dean a huge grin as the man turned to face the three boys standing at the door, a look of shock spreading across his face.

"I thought since you're incredibly busy most of the time, that I would help Kurt with his homework," Blaine said. Without waiting for a reply, he quickly towed Kurt to a seat that was as farthest away from the dean imaginable.

"Hello Sir," Tom said coldly, as he watched the dean's face turn white.

"I wasn't expecting to see you here Tom," the man said shakily.

The senior smiled and said, "I'm here to help Kurt, and you can call me Mr. Coleman."

With that last remark, he turned away from the shocked dean, and went to go sit by Blaine and Kurt, Calculus homework in hand. The junior was in the middle of explaining how Jane Austen used free indirect style throughout Pride and Prejudice, while his hand rested against the younger boy's nonchalantly the entire time.

* * *

**Wow! **

**This chapter took me forever to write, and had so much going on all at once. **

**The song was "Keep Holding On" by Avril Lavigne**

**The sixth chapter will attempt to expose the dean, and I will put more focus into Kurt and Blaine's relationship, as well as discuss Brian in more detail.**

**I am thinking of doing a one shot of Wes and David, so let me know what you think **

**Please review, they are like little gifts in my inbox :D**


	6. Chapter 6

**Hi Everyone,**

**Chapter Six is Here! **

_**As a side note, I need to put a warning on the ending of this chapter. It deals with very mature elements, and although I did not go into great detail about the event that occurs (hence the continued T rating), some readers may have negative reactions to it. **_

**I must give credit where it is due. One of my friends helped give me the idea for a later scene with Klaine in this chapter that involves them finally addressing their pink elephant (we've waited long enough boys!).**

**So last episode was certainly interesting, and while their wasn't much Klaine romance, but rather friendship, Blaine did tell Kurt that he cares about him a lot and he doesn't want to screw anything up. Maybe soon he'll realize that the only way he would screw anything up is if he sang to another random guy.**

**Chris Colfer on Letterman was amazing! I only wish I could've seen his hitch kick. (for more info, including what a hitch kick is, watch the interview!)**

**I don't own Glee…if I did, I would have made Dalton into a spin off show.**

**Read, Rinse, and Repeat :D**

A Journey-Chapter 6

* * *

Kurt and Blaine were just returning from a long day of shopping that afternoon. The older boy had walked in to see Kurt practically in tears earlier that morning, and had declared that he was in the middle of a fashion withdrawal. Blaine was now currently helping him with his twenty something bags, and proceeded to put them all in the middle of Kurt's bed. The sophomore gave a relieved sigh as he marveled at his purchases, and then spent the next hour organizing all the outfits into the already cramped closet.

Anybody else might have gone and left Kurt who was definitely in his own little world, but Blaine just watched him with a grin as he realized that he did indeed accomplish his task of making the younger boy smile like he owned the world. Kurt's smile wasn't something that Blaine could ever get used too, and he felt himself melt every time he saw it. He continued to watch as Kurt, cheeks slightly pink, was creating outfits with such careful scrutiny that he made Marc Jacobs himself look like an amateur.

As Kurt was putting the last of his clothes away, he turned to see an amused looking Blaine and said, "I'm sorry you had to witness that. You didn't have to wait you know."

Blaine just smiled as Kurt took a seat on his now empty bed and replied, "you looked extremely happy over there, and I wasn't going to miss that."

Kurt flushed and looked away, his heart pounding dangerously. He looked back up at Blaine whose features remained untouched and said, "I am happy."

The older boy stood up from the desk chair and went to accompany Kurt on the bed, his eyes, while cautious were filled with some emotion the younger boy couldn't place. He sat very still while Blaine situated himself, sitting hip to hip with Kurt.

"I'm glad you're happy," Blaine said finally, and the younger boy realized for the first time that a faint blush was spreading from his neck up to his cheeks.

Kurt watched out of his peripheral vision as Blaine reached out and took his hand from where it rested on the bed. He knew where this was going: in five minuets he would find himself molding to the older boy with his head to his chest, which was swoon worthy in and of itself but Kurt needed to know what this meant to the lead Warbler. The question of whether they were friends or something more had crossed his mind more times that he thought possible, and he was desperate to know if the emotion behind Blaine's eyes was love or just a deep admiration.

"Blaine-"

"Would-"

The older boy smiled, and gestured for Kurt to continue, but he waved the gesture away and motioned for Blaine to talk.

The junior looked at him for a moment longer before saying, "would you like to go get some lunch?"

"Sure," Kurt said, as he tried to hide his disappointment.

They turned to leave, and Blaine asked as they were walking over to the dining hall, "what did you want to say?"

"Oh, nothing," he replied.

Blaine gave him another look, and as they sat down he said, "I know that look Kurt."

The younger boy opened his mouth to speak, but was interrupted by an incoming Wes and David.

"Hey guys," Wes said sliding a chair over to sit next to Kurt, while David practically pushed Blaine out of his seat so he could sit on Kurt's other side.

"What's up?" David asked avoiding Blaine's fuming expression, as he turned to look at a flustered Kurt.

"Uh…" Kurt said.

"We're kind of talking you two," Blaine said pointedly.

"We know," Wes said excitedly.

"Which is why we came over. Kurt looked like he was going to pass out, so we came over to make sure he doesn't hit his head on the way down," David explained offhandedly.

"I wasn't going to pass out," Kurt said, while Blaine rolled his eyes and shook his head sadly.

"Okay," Wes replied standing up.

"Suit yourself," David said as he leaned down to whisper in Blaine's ear.

If it was possible to invent an entirely new color, Kurt would have jumped up and began working on a new fashion line because at that moment Blaine had flushed the palest pink that the younger boy had ever seen.

"So, what did David say?" Kurt asked.

Blaine was trying to regain his composure as he looked at the younger boy under his lashes, and attempted to formulate a coherent sentence. "Uh, nothing."

"That's my line," Kurt teased.

The pink from the older boy's cheeks was slowly fading, and Kurt was surprised to find himself disappointed.

"He uh, just reminded me of something," Blaine managed, glancing quickly at Kurt's penetrating blue stare.

"Oh?" Kurt replied, as he bit into his sandwich.

The sophomore yearned to know what had gone on between Blaine and David, and he could just picture the senior Warbler sharing a laugh with Wes in his dorm room.

"What were you going to say?" Blaine asked once more, as his heart gradually slowed. He could not believe that David had said that, and right in front of Kurt no less!

"Now may not be the best time," the younger boy replied.

"We have time," Blaine pressed lightly. He really wanted to know what Kurt had to tell him, and after David made that comment he was anxious for the younger boy to speak his mind.

Kurt was getting cold feet, and he hadn't even said anything yet. If he was rejected again, he didn't think he would be able to stand it. "Ill have to tell you later, my dad is calling," he said.

Blaine watched as Kurt left the table to take the call, and thought that this was the first time that the younger boy had hidden something from him.

* * *

Brian was sitting at his desk focusing on the geometry homework in front of him, as he simultaneously downloaded music. He wasn't particularly fond of being sent to a private school, but his parents wanted him to be as prepared as possible for college. In short, they wanted him to have the life they never had. When he found out that he was going to have a roommate, he nearly stormed out of his living room, but John was a great guy and they respected one another's privacy.

"Are you doing homework?" A voice asked behind him.

He swiveled in his chair to see his roommate giving him a disapproving look.

"Yes, actually I am," he replied turning back to his paper.

John walked over, slapped the math book shut, and said, "it's a Saturday afternoon. You are always doing homework, it's time for a break."

"I have so much work though," Brian protested.

"We're in the same classes, and if I didn't get a lot of homework, you didn't get a lot of homework," John told him.

Brian sighed and giving in asked, "did you have something in mind?"

"No, not really. I just can't stand seeing you behind a mountain of books all the time," John said.

"You do realize this is a private school right?" Brian retorted.

His roommate laughed and said, "and do you realize that colleges prefer a well rounded student?"

Brian scowled, and put his books away as he moved to stand up saying, "well lets go get some lunch because I'm starving.

John smiled at his friend, and the two freshman made their way down the stairs towards the dining hall. They walked down the sidewalk, and met a very white Kurt who was speaking in hushed tones to someone on his phone.

"…I know dad. No I can't say it over the phone, just please get here soon."

"Is everything okay?" John asked as Kurt put his phone away.

"Yeah, my dad is going to come here for a little while," the older boy replied.

"Kurt, was that your dad?" Blaine asked as he came down the stairs.

"Yeah," he replied.

"What happened?" The older boy asked again.

"I don't really want to say it here," Kurt replied glancing from Blaine to look at John and Brian.

"Okay. Let's go back to the dorm," Blaine stated, as he reached for the younger boy's hand.

John watched the two older boys walk back across campus, as Brian followed him into the dining hall.

"Is that about-?" Brian asked as John nodded quickly.

"Yes, and Kurt's going to take action," John replied, as he sat down across from his friend.

"Good," Brian said. He thought back to when John had finally told him what was going on, and at first he was enraged that a school with a zero tolerance no bullying policy had a Dean harassing students, but then he was furious that John's parents did nothing about it. He might have been able to understand if his parents were attempting to cover up a bad semester grade, but dismissing a blatant sexual advance on their own son was sickening. He hated his friend's parents with a passion, but what really got to him, was that their own son had also dismissed the situation like it was something he could just overlook.

"Don't blame this on me," John said, as he caught the anger in Brian's eyes.

"I don't blame you for the harassment that would be stupid. However, I am upset that you're protecting your parents," Brian explained, as he dug into salad.

"You don't know what my parents are like, or how important it is for them to be powerful," John said.

"You don't think that I know that?" Brian asked quietly, his voice shaking. "I understand what it's like for your parents to be so obsessed with what they want that they forget about you. It hurts and you begin to stop thinking of them as parents, and more like people you just happen to share a roof with."

John looked at him apologetically before saying, "I'm sorry."

"I know that you don't think you have any power over your life but you do, and you may not be able to choose what happens to you all the time, but you can choose how you respond to it," Brian said.

"Is that what you do?" his friend asked.

"Yeah, I didn't come here by choice, and instead of becoming angry with my parents for having me enroll here, I just treat it as a learning experience. What my parents do, they do out of love for me," Brian explained.

"And my parents are only concerned with their reputation," John said quietly.

"That's their problem, and you don't have to let them control you," Brian told him.

"But-"

"No John. Stand up for yourself, and have courage," Brian said softly.

"I don't think I have any courage," John said.

"Yes, you do, and if you don't think you have enough, I'll give you some."

John laughed and said, "you'll give me some? Like it's something tangible you can touch?"

"You have people who support you, and with all of us, that will give you courage," Brian explained.

* * *

"Did you tell your dad what happened?" Blaine asked while Kurt and him settled themselves on Blaine's bed.

"Sort of. He's going to come down so I can tell him," Kurt said. His stomach was in knots, and it wasn't just because of the secret he was keeping from his dad.

"Remember, I'll be here when you tell him, and then again when we go to the President," Blaine said.

"Thank you," Kurt replied. This was it, he was going to ask, and if he got rejected, it wasn't the end of the world. It would be the end of his world, but surely the earth would still be here to support him.

"Kurt? What's wrong?" Blaine asked concerned.

The younger boy took a deep breath, and asked, "when you hold me, what does that mean to you?"

Blaine was quiet for a moment, his lips twitching as though he was trying not to cry. "I care about you Kurt," he said finally.

"But?"

"I don't want to think about anything more than that because I care about you a lot, and I'm afraid," Blaine said, as he looked away.

Kurt forced himself to ask, "what are you afraid of?"

Blaine licked his lips, his heart was pounding in his ears, and he wanted to curl into a ball and close his eyes. He wanted to imagine that none of this was real, and if he couldn't see it, then it didn't exist. That was why his voice startled him as he heard it say, "I'm afraid that I'll lose you."

Kurt's blue eyes widened in shock, Blaine was afraid of losing him? The honesty in his voice made the sophomore relieved and confused all at once. "You won't lose me," he replied simply.

Blaine couldn't control the flow of tears after that, and Kurt instantly folded his arms around the older boy, and held him to his chest. The junior soon concluded that it is indeed possible to feel drunk from someone's scent alone, and he savored the feeling that Kurt gave him.

"Is this what you wanted to talk about before?" Blaine asked, his voice loud in the silence.

"Yes," Kurt answered, looking down at the older boy who seemed to fit so perfectly in his arms.

"Why?" Blaine asked against Kurt's chest.

The younger boy rested his chin on the top of Blaine's head, "because I care about you a lot too," he said.

Blaine felt a smile tug at his lips as he replied, "so now that we both care about each other, what should we do?"

Kurt froze, and he felt his face flush at the junior's remark. Blaine pulled back and looked at the sophomore as he said, "I don't know."

"What do you want to do?" the older boy asked instead.

Kurt was silent again. He knew what he wanted to do, but he was having difficulty forming a coherent sentence.

Blaine smiled that trademark smile he was known for and said, "how about I take you to dinner?"

Kurt was speechless, this was not happening, but it was. He felt himself nod, as he still couldn't say anything, and he pressed his lips together to make sure they weren't glued shut. The older boy looked at him and asked, "are you alright?"

His vocal chords began to work at last and he replied, "yes, I am. I just thought that I would lose _you_."

"Never going to happen," Blaine said confidently.

The two boys stayed wrapped up in one another's arms, while Blaine asked, "do you want to talk about the phone call with your dad?"

"I told him that I was experiencing more difficulties, and…" Kurt left the rest of the sentence unfinished.

"What is it Kurt?"

"He wants to take me out of Dalton," the younger boy finished. Tears welled up in his eyes as he continued, "but I don't want to leave, not now that you've given me the courage to stand up for myself."

"You are not going to leave," Blaine said. "_He _will leave, and he won't be able to screw with anyone else's life."

"Do you promise?" Kurt asked while he leaned against the older boy.

"I promise," came Blaine's reply.

* * *

"He did what?" Burt screamed, as Kurt and Blaine relayed the details to him the next day.

Kurt looked at his father uneasily, as Burt shook with fury. He was now formally disgusted with how cruel people could be. The harassment his son had endured at his old school with infuriating to say the least, but the incidents that were occurring here had him completely over the edge. He was so livid that he hadn't even noticed how his son was leaning against some other boy, and how this boy was stroking his back slowly.

"Dad, we're going to meet with the president this week, and she will make a decision from there."

"Will we have to go to some school board?" his dad asked wearily.

Kurt looked at Blaine who said, "no Sir, her decision is final."

"Thank god for private school," Burt said , as he eyed the two boys in front of him with a raised brow.

Blaine didn't miss the look Kurt's father was giving them, and he quickly let go of the younger boy's waist.

Kurt gave Blaine a look of dismay, and he sidled closer to him until their sides touched. He then looked at his dad, and immediately understood why the older boy moved away in the first place. A blush crept up his cheeks, which only made Blaine cough to suppress a laugh that would have surely gotten the both of them in trouble had Burt noticed. However, the curious man now returned to his enraged state, as he concluded that his son being harassed was a more pressing topic than his possible love interests.

"We're going to talk to the President Monday after classes," Kurt said.

"Should I come too?" his dad asked.

"No, I'm going to set up a meeting to discuss what's happening in detail, and then all of us will talk with her," Kurt informed him.

"All of us? Do you mean the Dean too?" Burt asked.

"Yes," Kurt replied.

"And you will go with him on Monday? Burt asked the junior.

"Yes, Sir," the older boy answered.

"Okay," Burt said.

"Dad, I don't want to leave," Kurt said quietly.

"I know, but if the Dean does not get fired, I will pull you out of Dalton," his dad explained.

Kurt's heart went cold, he did not want to leave Blaine, and even though they could visit each other, it wouldn't be the same.

At the same time, the junior was experiencing heart palpitations, and he was angry that Kurt might be driven away by bullies again. He moved his hand so it lightly touched the younger boy's, and although he continued to stare straight ahead, Kurt could see the corners of his lips turn up in a smile.

"Okay," Kurt said resignedly.

"I'm glad that you told me about this," Burt said.

"It's not just for me, the Dean pushed himself onto another boy," the sophomore continued.

Burt's eyes widened in astonishment, as he slowly processed the information that his son was giving him.

"What happened?" he asked.

Kurt retold the details of the past couple weeks while Blaine helped explain the gaps in between. When they finished, the younger boy was genuinely concerned for his father, and he moved to help him sit down.

"Is the Dean here now?" Burt asked both boys.

They shook their heads, and Blaine said, "no Sir, the faculty and staff are only here during the school week."

"Dad, you need to rest," Kurt said.

Burt waved away his comment, and said, "I'll be fine, but this is unacceptable."

Blaine watched the other two: it was clear that Burt cared deeply for his son, and it was also apparent that Kurt was worried over his dad's health. They conversed back and forth for little while, until Burt got ready to leave.

"You call me as soon as you talk with the President," Kurt's dad told him in the parking lot.

"I will dad."

The two boys watched Burt drive out the parking lot, and turn onto the main road towards home. Kurt couldn't deny that he was nervous, and Blaine was so in tune with the younger boy that he noticed his change in behavior immediately. The sophomore was still staring at the fading car with glassy eyes when he was swept into an embrace that was so unexpected, he let out a gasp of surprise. Nevertheless, he tucked his head into the older boy's neck, and closed his eyes. Blaine felt himself go weak when he focused on how close Kurt's lips were to his neck. He shifted his weight slightly, but that did nothing to take away the feel of their bodies pressed together. Not that he would want that anyway, but Kurt lips were _so _close.

"Blaine?"

"Agh," he choked as the younger boy's lips brushed against his skin. He took a deep breath and then said, "yes?"

Kurt pulled back to look at a very flushed Blaine, and ended up flushing himself. "It's a bit cold out here," he said finally.

Blaine laughed as he took Kurt's hand to go back inside the dormitory, while all the while, his neck pleasantly burned from the younger boy's lips.

* * *

"Kurt, you're doing it again," Blaine said.

"Sorry." Kurt had been nervously tapping his foot against the hard wood floor as Blaine and him waited in the small waiting room for the President to finish her meeting.

Blaine squeezed his hand again and said, "it's okay."

"What if she doesn't believe me?" the younger boy asked.

"She will, and if she doesn't take action, we can appeal to the school board," Blaine replied.

"I thought her word was final."

"It is, but if a student isn't happy with her word, he can repeal to the Dalton school board," Blaine said.

"Dalton has it's own school board?" Kurt asked incredulously.

Blaine laughed and replied, "this is a private school, Kurt."

The younger boy blushed, and looked down at the polished floor. "I didn't realize," he mumbled.

Blaine frowned and nudged Kurt before saying, "hey, there's a lot of stuff people don't know about this school, including me. I didn't mean to make you feel like that, I'm sorry."

Kurt was about to speak but Blaine had pulled that look he gave him when he wanted him to smile, and he laughed at how childish the junior could be.

The older boy smiled, and cautiously leaned in to press a soft kiss on Kurt's cheek. The sophomore gasped, and his lashes fluttered quickly as he tried to process what was happening.

Blaine pulled back, but not so much that he couldn't hear Kurt's uneven breath. He wondered briefly how the younger boy would react to a kiss on the lips, and realized that he may actually find out soon enough.

Kurt was trying desperately to restart his heart. Blaine had completely took his breath away, and he could still feel the butterflies flying around in his stomach.

"Blaine.." Kurt whispered, as his eyes locked with the older boy's.

"Are you okay?"

Kurt just nodded, and his heart leapt again as a petite brunette woman opened her door to greet the waiting duo.

They stood, and the sophomore walked forward to greet her with a firm handshake.

"Thank you for meeting with us," Kurt said, as she ushered them inside.

"Not a problem. You said it was urgent, and therefore it requires my utmost attention," she replied taking a seat.

Kurt took a shaky breath and said, "I have a concern that has been brought up before by another student, and I believe that it needs to be dealt with before it becomes a pressing matter."

The woman was quiet for a moment as she looked at both boys, and then asked, "does this concern involve a member of my faculty?"

Kurt exchanged a glance with Blaine before answering in the affirmative, and then waited for her response.

"Can you tell me what happened?"

Kurt spent the next thirty minuets relaying the details from the last couple weeks, while she listened intently.

"It appears that I was not as informed as I should have been. I thank you for bringing this to my attention, and I will be in touch with you shortly."

"Thank you, I appreciate it," Kurt said.

"Well that wasn't so bad," Blaine said as they walked back down the deserted hallway.

"Yeah, I need to call my dad," Kurt replied.

They made their way to the dorm, and stopped in Blaine's room to drop off his books before going into Kurt's. The younger boy was a little shaky, and the junior was quick to notice. He wrapped Kurt's shaking hands in his, and led him over to the bed.

"-have to call my dad," Kurt mumbled into Blaine's shoulder.

"It can wait," the older boy replied as he tightened his hold on the sophomore.

Kurt said something inaudible causing Blaine to ask, but the younger boy denied saying anything at all. He only pressed his lips lightly to Blaine's blazer, so lightly in fact that the older boy would have to replay their time together in order to realize what had happened.

Kurt jumped up after his secret kiss to call his dad about his meeting, his heart fluttering in his chest.

* * *

Sophie sat at her desk and watched her phone like a hawk. She had heard that the Dean had not given up his quest for, well, she wasn't going to even think it. Her fingers drummed against the wood, and she waited for a response. She could have called him, but if she knew Blaine, and she did, then she knew better than to call during school hours. She stood up, and decided that lunch was in order. She slid into her sandals, and went out to face the scorching heat.

"You have that worried look on your face again," her friend Amy said when they met at the double doors leading to the campus food court.

Sophie remained silent, and headed across the expansive court to order a chicken quesadilla.

"Is it your cousin again?"

"It started happening to another kid," Sophie said flatly.

Amy appeared thoughtful as she watched the cook prepare the food and asked, "is this kid going to let someone know?"

"Yeah, Blaine told me that they went to their President, and now their going to hold a meeting later this week."

"That's good," Amy said relieved. "why are you so nervous?"

"He didn't reply when I asked what the Dean did."

"It's noon, and their in the middle of a school day. I'm sure that when classes get out at three that he'll call you."

Sophie remained doubtful as they ate, and as she took off for her internship afterwards, snippets of Blaine's conversation played in her head.

"_Blaine, I know that you couldn't say anything last time, but you need to let Kurt know what's going on."_

_ "I know, I'm going too."_

_ "Okay. Tell me right after, and if I need too I'll come down to Dalton myself."_

_ "Don't do that, you're all the way in Arizona and you have class."_

_ "I don't care if I'm in China on an amazing discovery. Matters like these come first, and I will help no matter what."_

She sighed and turned onto the highway, when a text came through from Blaine. She looked at the time, and thought that he might be at lunch. "Call Blaine," she said to her ear piece, and the phone dialed his number.

Blaine picked up on the second ring and said, "hey, sorry I was in class."

"I know, don't worry about it," Sophie said while she switched lanes.

"Are you driving?"

"Hands free Blaine," she replied.

"Okay. Anyway, the meeting is scheduled for Thursday at three."

"Will you be there with Kurt?"

"Yes," Blaine answered.

"That's good. How is Kurt?"

"He's holding up."

"Blaine, you aren't convincing."

"He's nervous."

"Is he there now?"

"No, I stepped outside."

"Well go back in with him!"

"You were the one who wanted to know the details," Blaine teased.

His cousin laughed and said, "okay, have a good date this weekend."

Blaine was silent, a look of shock crossing his face.

"Blaine?"

"How do you know?"

"I have my ways, now go back inside. I need to work."

"I thought it was your internship," he said confused.

"A paid internship. Call me if anything comes up."

"I will."

Sophie drove into the parking lot, and turned off the engine. She smiled at her cunning ability to find out about her cousin's love life, and continued to smile as she walked through the front door.

* * *

"Mr. Hummel, Kurt, Blaine, take a seat please," the President said from the head of the table. The three sat on one side of the oak table, while the Dean sat on the opposite side facing them.

The meeting took place in one of the conference rooms that afternoon, and Kurt sat timidly looking anywhere but the man opposite him. Blaine squeezed his hand under the table and mouthed courage, while Kurt tried to keep his composure.

Burt was shooting death glares at the man across the table, and fighting the part of him that wanted to throttle his neck.

"I have met with each of you, and listened to both points of view," the President said, bringing the attention back to her. "It is clear that we have a problem," she stated, looking from the Dean to Kurt.

"I want that man out of this school," Burt said with forced politeness.

The Dean looked nervously at the boy's father, and then shifted his glance when he saw the malice in his eyes.

"I understand. I need Kurt and Dean Watkins to re-tell their sides of the story, and then I will form a decision." She gestured for Kurt to begin, and listened intently while he shared his recap of the last few weeks.

"Dean Watkins appeared very concerned about my GPA, and discussed his concern with me numerous times. He then held a meeting with me, and used a paper of mine as proof that I needed academic help. At the end of the meeting, he declared that I needed to attend one hour tutoring sessions with him every Tuesday. He made an unnecessary comment about my financial situation, and knowingly jeopardized my role as a Warbler." Kurt looked at Blaine briefly, who nodded for him to continue. "One time when he stopped me in between classes, he asked me how I was settling in, and he made a comment about my clothing."

"What did he say?" Burt asked.

Kurt stalled, he hadn't told anybody about this, and he was sure that there would be an explosion the minuet the words left his mouth. "He said that my clothes looked cute on me, and he wished that Dalton didn't have a dress code."

Blaine turned white. Kurt had never told him this before, and he trembled with rage. Burt choked, "he said what?"

Kurt swallowed and blinked rapidly. He searched for Blaine's hand and held on tightly, while he glanced at the President.

She pursed her lips, and gave Kurt a silent nod before turning to the Dean questioningly. His face remained blank and expressionless; there wasn't a single ounce of remorse present.

"This behavior will not be tolerated," she said after hearing the Dean give his account. She looked at Burt and the two boys before her while saying, "I am deeply sorry for the events that have taken place, and I can assure you that it will not happen again."

Burt stood up, shook her hand, and led his son and the other boy out the door. It wasn't until the trio went up to Kurt's empty room that he allowed the tears free reign, and his dad to pull him into a hug. They stood like that for a while, and after some time Blaine moved to the bed and held his face in his hands.

"I'm so sorry," Kurt said into between sobs as his dad released him.

"You have _nothing_ to be sorry for," Burt replied.

They talked some more before Burt remembered the dark haired boy that was still occupying his son's bed. "What's your name?" he asked quietly.

Blaine looked up startled, and said, "it's very nice to meet you Mr. Hummel, my name is Blaine."

Burt smiled and decided against embarrassing his son at the present moment; it was very clear that there was something going on between the two boys. He made plans with Kurt to come home that weekend, and after confirming with the President that Dean Watkins was indeed fired, he left to go back to Lima.

Kurt turned around to see a white faced Blaine staring back at him. He looked down and muttered a barely audible sorry. The older boy walked over to him and asked a single word, "why?"

"I didn't think that it was serious."

Blaine stared at him incredulously trying to make sure he heard him correctly. "What do you mean?" he asked finally.

"He wasn't shoving me into lockers, or throwing slushies at my face so I figured that the comment wasn't really anything to worry about," Kurt replied.

Blaine took a deep breath before saying, "Kurt, if someone does or ever _says_ something that makes you feel uncomfortable, you tell them, and if you can't tell them you tell someone else."

Kurt didn't say anything. He closed the short distance between them, and clung to Blaine as if his life depended on it. The older boy struggled against his role as mentor and his role as something else, before he shrugged out of the former role and molded to the younger boy in his arms.

* * *

**The last scene was incredibly difficult for me to write, but I got through it! The next chapter will focus on a date concerning our two favorite Warblers, however, I am in no means finished with the other characters :D**

**Review/alerts make my day (or night), their like little Valentine's day chocolates!**


	7. Chapter 7

**Hi Everyone,**

**Chapter seven is a fluffy date escapade! I must say that this is my favorite chapter so far, and it was so much fun to write 3**

**I have officially changed my name from **_**Gleekcrazy, **_**to **_**Secrets of the Fall. **_**I am without a doubt still crazy for Glee, but a change is in order. **

**I don't own Glee…if I did Chris Colfer would star as himself :D**

**Have Fun!**

A Journey-Chapter 7

Kurt changed his outfit for the hundredth time that night. He could not for the life of him figure out what to wear, and it was becoming infuriating. He couldn't decide whether to wear the dark indigo skinny jeans with the black button top and gray scarf, or the black skinny jeans with the white sweater. He threw the scarf on the bed, and collapsed on his sheets with a sigh.

Jake glanced up from his phone to see a disgruntled looking Kurt tangled in his sheets and laughed.

Kurt glared at him and said, "I'm glad you think this is funny."

Jake slowly composed himself before saying, "I'm sorry Kurt, but it's kind of hard not to laugh when you've been going at this for the past hour."

"I can't figure out what to wear," Kurt said somberly as he moved to a sitting position.

"Well I can tell you that either outfit will look great, and you'd better hurry because Blaine will be here in forty five minuets," Jake reminded him.

Kurt strained over the pile of clothes on his bed to see the time, and drew in a sharp breath as he realized that time was indeed running out. He gathered the first outfit in his arms, and rushed to the bathroom to finish his moisturizing routine.

Jake looked at the closed door, and laughed at the commotion within the bathroom. Kurt had only talked of this night for the past week he was so excited, but Jake could tell that he was also nervous.

Kurt came back into the room twenty five minuets later with his clothes on, hair styled, and a nervous smile on his face. He sat on his bed, and stared at his hands while Jake came over and sat next to him.

"What are you nervous about?" his roommate asked.

Kurt continued to stare at his hands while he asked, "have you ever told someone you loved them?"

Jake looked at the wall, and took a breath before saying, "yes, and it's the scariest thing that I've ever done."

"I don't know how to say it," Kurt admitted softly.

"Don't force it. You may not say it tonight, but if you do then you'll figure out how to say it," Jake said thoughtfully.

Kurt took a shaky breath and said, "I really do love him, but what if he doesn't love me?"

"He does," the other boy replied smiling.

"What if he doesn't? What if he just really cares about me, and enjoys helping me because he wants me to be happy?" Kurt asked frantically.

"I know that he cares about you, and that he has helped you so much because he wants you to be happy. However, I also know that his feelings go beyond normal friendship," Jake explained.

Kurt could feel his pulse racing, and his breath quickened as he thought about all the things that could go wrong tonight. "He was only supposed to be my mentor," he said.

"Sometimes things happen, and between you and me, he asked to be your mentor," Jake told him.

Kurt's heart flipped at those words, and he smiled in spite of himself.

"Now get yourself together because at any minuet Blaine will be knocking at the door to whisk you away," Jake said playfully, as he jumped up from Kurt's bed.

Kurt smiled and looked at the clock once more, when all of a sudden, he heard a knock at the door.

* * *

"To gel or not to gel, that is the question," Blaine said to his reflection. He had about forty five minuets to go before he took Kurt out for dinner, and he just couldn't decide. He finally picked up the gel, as he thought about the date he had. His heart was busy doing back flips, and he couldn't contain the nervousness he felt at the coming evening.

"You're talking to yourself again," his roommate called from the other side of the door.

Blaine scowled and continued to plaster his hair down, as he tried to think of how to say it. Those three words: I love you. How was he going to say it? He walked out of the bathroom to see the other boy staring incredulously at him.

"Bad hair night?"

"I couldn't decide," Blaine answered, as he pocketed his phone.

His roommate laughed, "obviously," he said.

"What time is it?" Blaine asked absentmindedly.

"You have about five minuets…I think you may have broken the world record of time spent on your hair."

"Yes, well…" Blaine trailed off, as he looked around the room. His nerves were getting the better of him, and he had to continually remind himself to breathe.

"You got this," the other boy said.

"Can you tell I'm freaking out?" Blaine asked.

"No, not at all," came the sarcastic reply.

Blaine gave a small smile, as he slipped into his coat. "Wish me luck?" he asked tentatively.

"Good luck Blaine," he said, as he half pushed the older boy out into the hallway.

Blaine suddenly found himself standing in the middle of the desolate hallway, and staring at the door a few steps away. He took a deep breath, walked to the closed door, and knocked softly.

* * *

Kurt hurried across his dorm room, a flurry of cashmere following, as he practically threw open the door to reveal the breathtaking boy waiting on the other side.

"Hi," the breathtaking boy said.

"Hi," Kurt replied in a daze.

"Are you all ready to go?" Blaine asked.

Kurt nodded, and felt the door close behind him. Blaine held out a hand, which the younger boy took immediately.

"You haven't told me where we're going," Kurt stated, as they walked down the hall.

"You'll see soon enough," the older boy said with a smile. They went down to the parking lot behind their dorm towards Blaine's car.

Blaine drove out of the school grounds, and traveled up to the highway. Kurt gave him an inquisitive look, and the junior just laughed.

"Are you kidnapping me?" Kurt asked half joking.

The sophomore's remark caused Blaine to laugh harder, and he squeezed Kurt's hand in response. "Patience is a virtue Kurt Hummel," he replied.

Kurt scowled and felt a blush creep up his cheeks, as he focused on Blaine's hand holding his on the seat. He looked out his window at the passing cars and was overcome with a rush of giddiness.

Blaine felt the change in Kurt's demeanor, and smiled as he turned down the next exit towards their destination.

The sophomore shifted in his seat as they drove downtown, and realization dawned on him as Olive Garden came into view.

He looked at Blaine who smiled and asked, "have you ever been to Olive Garden?"

Kurt shook his head and took in the sight of the Italian restaurant, as Blaine chose a parking spot near the door.

"Are you ready?" Blaine asked.

Kurt smiled and unbuckled his seatbelt, as the older boy met him on the other side and held open his door.

"How's your Italian?" Kurt asked with a smile.

"A bit rusty if I'm being honest," Blaine replied as they ventured up to the doors.

Kurt laughed, and once inside they were greeted by a young woman with red curly hair who smiled like there was no tomorrow.

"Anderson, party of two."

"Right this way Mr. Anderson," the woman said as she ventured off into the restaurant.

"You called ahead of time?" Kurt asked following the woman through endless walkways and rooms.

"Of course," Blaine replied.

They settled at the table, and began to thumb through their menus as they waited for their waitress.

Blaine set his menu down on the table, and looked at Kurt who was flipping through the soup section.

The younger boy felt eyes on him, and glanced up to see the junior smiling at him. "Is something wrong?" he asked, his heartbeat suddenly uneven.

"Not at all," came the reply.

Kurt tilted his head questioningly, but he didn't get an anymore response because their waitress came over at that moment to take their orders.

"Can I start you off with some drinks and breadsticks?" she asked the duo.

Blaine looked at Kurt who replied, "a diet coke please."

"The same for me please," the junior said afterwards.

"Alright, I'll be back in a few minuets," she replied.

"Thank you," Blaine said before turning back to the sophomore in front of him.

When they were alone again Blaine took a deep breath before saying, "it's your eyes."

Kurt felt his heart skip a beat, and averted his eyes while asking, "what about my eyes?"

Blaine licked his dry lips and whispered, "your eyes are stunning."

Kurt swallowed slowly, and tried to think of something to say that wouldn't cut his IQ in half. When he realized that nothing would work, he looked around at the other people seated around tables and received a smile from a woman across the room. He returned it, and Blaine turned around to see who Kurt was smiling at before refocusing his gaze on the younger boy in front of him.

"I…your eyes are…I mean…thank you," Kurt finished lamely as Blaine gave him a small smile.

"What are you going to order?" Blaine asked gesturing to their menus.

"I'm thinking the Tour of Italy," Kurt replied looking at the vast assortments of pasta.

"What is that?" the junior asked curiously, as he thumbed through the menu.

"Basically a whole lot of lasagna in a creamy sauce," Kurt answered.

"I think I'm going to go with the Chicken and Shrimp Carbonara," Blaine said laughing at the sophomore's description.

"Good choice," Kurt replied.

The waitress came back with their drinks and a basket of breadsticks, and took their orders down on a notepad. She flashed them a smile, before leaving once more.

Kurt mumbled something inaudible causing Blaine to ask what he said, and making the younger boy blush in the process.

"I said your eyes are stunning too," Kurt answered while flushing a vibrant shade of pink.

Blaine looked down at his hands before glancing up at Kurt, and smiling at the younger boy. "Thank you," he said quietly.

Kurt wished the food would come faster so he had something to focus on instead of his growing nerves, and wondered briefly if he would be able to eat when butterflies were currently occupying his stomach.

"What would you like to talk about?" Blaine asked breaking the silence.

"What do you think we are?" Kurt replied slowly.

"I don't know," the older boy said honestly.

He saw Kurt's tortured expression and asked, "What would you like to be?"

Kurt's eyes widened at the question, and he averted his eyes in the vain hope that he could forget Blaine's question. He knew exactly what he wanted to be, but he was afraid to say it. Luckily for him, their food arrived, but he wouldn't get saved like that the next time around.

"Kurt?"

"Yeah?"

"What's on your mind?"

Kurt sighed, and chewed his food thoughtfully before saying, "my feelings."

Blaine smiled and leaned forward before whispering, "do you want to know a secret?"

Kurt gave a confused smile but nodded anyways.

"I'm nervous too."

Kurt's heart thumped as he said, "I don't know how to say it."

Blaine looked confused for a second before realization dawned, and he knew what the sophomore was trying to say. "Me too," he said.

Kurt's blue eyes fixed on his and his sigh of relief was noticeable, as their feelings were laid out on the table in front of them.

Blaine smiled and reached across the table to touch the younger boy's hand, and Kurt's skin tingled at the contact.

"I want to be with you," Kurt whispered.

The junior felt his heart melt at Kurt's words, and he held his hand gingerly. "Me too," he said again with a small smile.

Kurt laughed lightly and replied, "is that all you can say?"

"I think, at least for right now." Blaine was mesmerized by the younger boy across from him, and he was having trouble believing that Kurt wanted to be with him. He didn't want to believe it just in case he woke up, and the sophomore didn't harbor any feelings for him whatsoever. Yet, here they sat, and Kurt gazed at him with a deep emotion that filled his blue eyes to the point that Blaine had to look away.

Their waitress came up to them and asked, "how are we doing?"

"Good thank you," Kurt answered while Blaine was busy molding himself back together.

"Can I get you guys anything else?"

"Some more breadsticks please," Blaine managed.

Kurt had to glue his lips together to keep from laughing, as she gathered their dishes and left again.

"Not funny."

"I thought it was," Kurt replied.

"You don't know what you do to me."

Kurt's eyes grew soft as he said, "I could say the same thing about you."

"Really?"

"Yes."

Blaine leaned back against the seat, and took a sip of soda.

A fresh basket of breadsticks was placed between them at that moment, and Kurt thanked the woman who smiled and turned away.

"I'm thinking we should take these to go," Kurt said as he reached into the basket, and bit into a breadstick.

Blaine smiled and asked, "do you like Olive Garden?"

"I do."

"We'll have to do this more often then," Blaine said with a twinkle in his eye.

"Oh?" Kurt said with a raise brow. "When's the second date?"

Blaine grinned, "not so fast."

Kurt pouted but smiled right afterwards, and Blaine laughed. They flagged down their waitress, who gave them the bill and some chocolates.

As they walked outside Blaine took Kurt's hand, and opened the door for him. The junior pulled out of the parking lot, and headed in the opposite direction of Dalton.

"Where are we going?"

"You'll see."

"You really are kidnapping me."

"You wish."

Kurt didn't say anything back, and realized that he didn't care if Blaine kidnapped him because at least they would be together the entire time.

After fifteen minuets Blaine pulled off the road, and into a public park. Kurt glanced at him questioningly, but the junior grinned and stepped out of the car. They started walking down a small path, and Blaine pulled Kurt to his side as he stopped in front of a bench.

"I need to sing you a song," he said to the sophomore. He leaned in to press his lips to Kurt's cheek, and lingered longer than was necessary before pulling back and singing:

_How many words are there to say?  
But I still can't find a way  
To tell you how you've captured me  
And turned it all around  
I want to write it down  
I need to say it out loud  
This force inside is driving me  
And I can't hold it in_

Kurt stood still as the lyrics swirled around him.

_I know You're the only one  
Who could help me finally open up  
You created something new in me_

_You give me that feeling  
A power I can believe in  
The world around me disappears  
(I know I'm completely changed)  
You give me that feeling  
I could smash straight through the ceiling  
Fly until I reach the sun  
(The ties that bind me come undone)  
You give me that feeling_

Kurt felt something in his heart shift, and he wondered what feeling Blaine was talking about. The older boy looked at him while he sang, and his hands had found themselves holding the other boy's hand. 

_Your light, it shines so bright  
It makes the day seem like the night  
You chase away the shadows  
And illuminate my path  
I know You're the only one  
Who could help me finally open up  
You created something new in me  
_

Blaine sang the chorus once more before singing the last verse softly, and Kurt's heart pounded when he heard the words.

_I always thought if someone knew the real me  
They would turn away  
But now I've found Your love completes me  
And I'll never be the same _

The air around them was silent once more, and Blaine looked away briefly as his breath evened out.

Kurt closed the distance between them, and put his arms around the older boy who was shaking slightly.

"Kurt," Blaine whispered.

"What is it?" The sophomore breathed.

"I'm in love with you," Blaine said softly.

Kurt felt a rush of adrenaline and his pulse accelerated, as he pressed his lips lightly to the other boy's forehead. Blaine's skin felt cool under his lips, and he realized at that moment just how vulnerable the junior really felt.

He tightened his hold on Blaine and held his gaze while he replied, "I love you too."

Blaine reached up and cradled Kurt's face in his hand, as he gave him a cautious look.

Kurt stood frozen as he felt Blaine's lips whisper against his. It was cold in the park, but neither boy felt the chill. The sophomore shivered, and he willed himself to press their lips together.

Blaine didn't breathe, and they stood suspended through time while soft snow flakes drifted down around them.

Kurt's cheeks flushed with color and his eyes closed, as Blaine's lips met his with a promise.

Kurt didn't think; words were lost to him. He focused on their bodies, and how Blaine held him even though he was shorter. He felt his heart explode with emotion that was so overpowering he poured it into their kiss like honey, and felt the other boy respond accordingly. The pressure from their bodies wasn't something either boy could place, and yet they desperately memorized every detail, as the moment became transient and dreamlike. Kurt felt Blaine stroke his face softly, and he slowly opened his eyes to watch the moment.

Their lips parted and Blaine gasped at how blue Kurt's eyes were against the ivory backdrop of snow.

Kurt leaned against him, and Blaine wrapped his arms more securely around the sophomore. They clung to each other, neither ready to let go and leave the other.

It was at that moment that Kurt felt the dampness of his coat, and it wasn't from the falling snow.

"Blaine?"

"I'm sorry," he sniffled.

"Why are you crying?"

He laughed before saying, "I'm so happy."

Kurt smiled and kissed the top of Blaine's head and replied, "me too."

* * *

As they left for Dalton they talked about regionals, dinner, but more importantly them.

"Are we together?" Kurt asked tentatively glad for the darkness surrounding them.

"I would like that," Blaine replied glancing at Kurt.

"Good," Kurt said.

Blaine squeezed his hand while he continued to drive, and thought about what it meant to be with Kurt. He swallowed nervously, but when he pulled up into the campus he decided to push the worry back where it came from.

They walked hand in hand up to their dorms, but Blaine didn't want Kurt to leave and the sophomore certainly didn't want to be without the other boy.

"Please come stay with me." Blaine didn't say it like a question but it sounded like one, and he held his breath until Kurt nodded.

"What about your roommate though?"

"Away for the weekend."

"Oh."

Kurt gathered some things from his room, and followed the older boy down the hall while wondering why the butterflies were taking over his stomach again.

Blaine closed the door behind them, and gestured for him to put his things on the chair by the desk.

"I'll be right back," Blaine replied as he disappeared into the bathroom.

Kurt sat on the bed and waited for the junior while he looked at the assortment of books and papers littering Blaine's desk. He felt the bed shift, and turned to see the other boy curled up next to him.

Blaine looked at him and asked, "Can I-" but he was cut short by the sudden kiss Kurt had placed on his lips. He returned the gesture, and felt his cheeks grow warm from the touch.

"You don't need to ask to kiss me," Kurt said a minuet later.

"How did you know?"

"I just do."

Blaine felt his blood tingle and realized that Kurt gave him that feeling.

Kurt leaned in to kiss him again, and this time Blaine poured his soul into the sophomore and smiled when he heard him gasp against his lips. Kurt pulled him closer, and felt the heat grow inside him as he melted into the embrace. It was too much, and Blaine grew worried when he heard the other boy give a tortured moan. He pulled back and stroked Kurt's flushed face, while their breathing slowed.

"Are you okay?" Blaine asked quietly.

"Maybe," Kurt said smiling uneasily, as he put a hand to his heart.

Blaine grinned and pulled him into his arms, as his own heart beat unsteadily. He pulled back just enough to press his palm to Kurt's chest, and felt the steady beat of his heart.

Kurt's eyes closed, and he smiled when Blaine kissed his cheek lightly. All of a sudden, the junior had an idea, and keeping his hand pressed firmly to the younger boy's chest he whispered, "I love you," and like magic Kurt's heart raced under his fingers.

The sophomore placed his hand over Blaine's on his chest and said accusingly, "you did that on purpose."

Blaine made eye contact and just smiled as Kurt's heart slowed once more. He twined their hands together, and the younger boy buried his face in his neck.

After a while, their breaths mirrored each others and their bodies molded together.

"I love you," Kurt said sleepily.

Blaine kissed his head in response and asked, "do you want to get changed?"

Kurt shifted in his arms, and got up to get ready for bed. Blaine felt like a piece of him was missing the entire time the younger boy was in the bathroom, and he smiled widely when the sophomore emerged from the other room.

They found themselves tangled together again, and Kurt laughed silently while his shoulders moved in time with his breathing.

"Why are you laughing?" Blaine asked.

Kurt composed himself and said, "we're moving pretty fast for one night of dating."

Blaine felt himself blush and asked, "is this okay?"

"Yeah," Kurt replied. "I just thought it was funny."

Blaine smiled, and curled into the other boy who was fast falling asleep. He pressed a soft kiss to his lips, and breathed in his scent. He had fallen for Kurt, and regardless of what anyone had said, his feelings were returned. They slept soundly, dreaming of the other, and anxiously awaited whatever the future held for them.

* * *

**There you have it! **

**The song that Blaine sang was "You Give Me That Feeling" by Fireflight.**

**The dishes that they ordered at Olive Garden were taken from the restaurant's online menu!**

**In chapter 8 we'll soon see why Blaine isn't as confident as he appears to be, if John will be able to stand up to his power crazed parents, and what Sophie, (Blaine's older cousin), is hiding. **

**Reviews may possibly make the world go round 3**


	8. Chapter 8

**Hi Everyone!**

**So, I'm doing something a little different for this chapter. I've incorporated two songs from One Republic into the storyline: "Secrets," and "All The Right Moves."**

**I received a lovely review from **_**blurtfreak107 **_**saying that I have been spelling minute wrong. I apologize for any confusion as the words minuet and minute are very different (I looked it up). I have fixed this chapter, but if there's anything I missed I'm sorry for the inconvenience. Thank you and onwards! **

**I don't own Glee…if I did I wouldn't make it my job to keep Kurt and Blaine apart for as long as possible, (yes Ryan Murphy, I am talking about you).**

**You know what to do!**

A Journey-Chapter 8

* * *

_I need another story  
Something to get off my chest  
My life gets kinda boring  
Need something that I can confess  
'Til all my sleeves are stained red_

Blaine sat in his room, and went over his lab report before class Monday morning. He wasn't particularly happy with the way it came out, but it would still get him a satisfactory grade. With a sigh he got up from his desk, and pulled on his Dalton blazer before heading out. Just as he reached Kurt's door his phone beeped with a message from the sophomore. "_Are we still going to breakfast_?" it read. Blaine smiled and knocked twice on the oak door.

"Good morning," Kurt said opening up. He was still half asleep so he didn't quite notice the junior on the other side, and turned back to finish getting ready for the day.

"We are still going to breakfast," Blaine answered as he waved his phone in the air.

Kurt stopped in the middle of his room, and turned around, suddenly awake. He launched himself at the surprised junior, who in a snap decision threw his phone, so he could catch the younger boy. The sophomore pressed his face into Blaine's neck, and held onto him tightly.

"Did you break your phone?" Kurt asked a minute later.

"No, it actually landed in the middle of your bed," Blaine replied.

"Well that's a relief because I'd feel bad if I broke your phone."

Blaine laughed, and sat on the edge of Kurt's bed while he got his books together.

"Ready?" The junior asked.

"No, not quite," Kurt answered, as he joined Blaine on the bed.

Kurt's eyes were dancing, and Blaine didn't have to think twice before their lips pressed together. The sophomore cupped the other boy's cheek in his hand, and sighed into the kiss.

"I love you," Kurt breathed, his lips brushing against Blaine's lightly.

The junior pulled back slightly, and studied Kurt's features for a moment before repeating the three words.

Kurt didn't miss the look Blaine had given him, and wondered briefly if Blaine didn't believe him.

They walked to breakfast hand in hand until they remembered that nobody knew they were together, but then decided that they didn't care and people would find out eventually.

Blaine pulled the chair out for Kurt who blushed at the gesture, and took a seat across from a smirking Tom. The sophomore pretended not to notice, and dug into his steaming breakfast without another thought.

"I think somebody's onto us," Blaine whispered into Kurt's ear.

Kurt, who thought he was doing a good job of playing oblivious, shivered as he felt Blaine's lips graze his ear and looked up to see Tom grinning so wide it looked painful.

"Did something happen last night?" Tom asked loudly.

Kurt flushed again and looked at Blaine questioningly, but before either boy could say anything, Tom jumped up from his chair excitedly.

"I knew it! This is great! Finally you guys, did you know how painful it was for everyone to watch you two?" The senior exclaimed.

Kurt's mouth fell open in his trademark 'oh my gaga' expression, and Tom immediately sat down when he saw the look that Blaine was giving him.

A few boys shifted in their seats to look at the new couple, and then turned back to their food and conversations while rolling their eyes at Tom's sudden outburst.

John caught Kurt's eye and smiled before he continued his discussion with Brian, and Jake, who was sitting on Kurt's other side, nudged his shoulder appreciatively.

Blaine found Kurt's hand under the table and held it gingerly, while the sophomore kissed his jaw line.

"Hey!" Wes cried, "no PDA while everyone's still eating."

Blaine smirked at the senior and said, "you're the only one whose eating."

Wes glanced at the other boys seated around him, and was thinking of a witty comeback when David stuffed something in his mouth and smacked his lips as he chewed.

"Ha!" Wes said laughing.

"What did he put in his mouth?" Kurt asked Blaine.

"I'm not sure I want to know," the junior answered.

As they cleaned up and headed off to class Kurt remembered Blaine's sad disposition in his room that morning and asked, "are you okay?"

Blaine seemed taken aback for a second before he composed himself and replied, "of course."

"You don't need to hide anything from me," Kurt pressed lightly.

"I know," Blaine said with a smile.

"Good," Kurt replied.

They stopped at Blaine's first class, and embraced quickly before going their separate ways.

Blaine watched the sophomore turn the corner, as his smile slowly faded and he entered the classroom.

_From all the truth that I've said  
Come by it honestly I swear  
Thought you saw me wink, no  
I've been on the brink, so_

_

* * *

Let's paint the picture  
Of the perfect place  
They've got it better then when anyone's told ya  
They'll be the King of Hearts, and you're the Queen of Spades  
Then we'll fight for you like we were your soldiers_

John walked to the front of his class, and handed his teacher the note. The good news was that he got to skip class, the bad news was that Tom and him were going to spend the remainder of the school day driving an hour and thirty minutes to their house so they could attend dinner with their parents.

"I have never seen a student look so solemn at the prospect of leaving early," his teacher exclaimed after reading the note.

John gave her a half hearted smile, and walked out of the room to see Tom waiting for him.

"Are you ready?" His brother asked.

John gave him a look, and together they walked out of the building towards one of the parking lots behind the dorms.

"Everything is going to be okay," Tom said.

John didn't speak as they walked, and instead looked around at some of the students hurrying to class. Their biggest concern at that moment was the detention they would receive for being late, but John had something worse coming for him. Although he hadn't mentioned the Dean to his parents, they had found out about his dismissal from the school and were infuriated with their son. He could only imagine what would happen when he arrived later that afternoon, and pushed the thought deep within the recesses of his mind.

They drove for a little while in silence, until John couldn't take it anymore. "Why do you do whatever they want you to do?"

"What do you mean?" Tom replied.

"You know what I mean! You enrolled at Dalton without a word, you're going to the college that they want you to go too, and you act like you don't care that they run your life," John cried.

"I do care," the senior said quietly.

"So then why do you take the backseat?"

"So that you can choose the life that you want," Tom answered.

"What?" John asked looking at him incredulously.

"If I didn't let them run my life, then they would run yours."

John continued to stare at his brother, and was startled to find tears blurring his vision. "Your doing this for me?"

Tom nodded and said, "I'm as angry as you are, but I can't do anything about it."

"Yes you-"

"No I can't because the moment that I do they'll lose faith in me, and plant all their hopes and dreams into you."

John squeezed his eyes shut but like everything else in his life his emotions took control, and the tears swam down his face like a runaway train that was bound to produce disastrous results.

At a red light, Tom reached into the glove compartment and pulled out a travel pack of tissues.

John smiled as he took them, and as he wiped his cheeks he thought that this was going to be the last time his parents dominated their lives.

It was three in the afternoon when Tom pulled into the driveway. Their parents went overboard with everything, and their house was no exception. The towering white mansion put every other house on the street to shame. Beginning with the driveway, which surrounded a porcelain fountain in the front of the house, and was lined with flower beds on each side, they pulled into the parking garage.

"Oh we're so happy you're here," cooed their mother who rushed to the door to greet them. She pulled Tom into a hug, and completely ignored John who stood awkwardly to the side.

She disappeared into one of the expansive dining halls, and John was almost run over by a maid who was flitting from room to room.

"Come on," Tom said as he pulled his younger brother down the hall to the marble staircase.

John followed, and scurried around someone who was mopping the floor. They finally reached the sleeping quarters, and parted ways to their separate rooms.

Tom shut his door, and drew in the curtains for privacy. He couldn't believe how his mother ignored her own son, and cursed her quietly. He hated this house with a passion, and always dreaded coming here for breaks. The mansion was so impersonal, with it's sleeping quarters, dining halls, kitchen that nobody ever saw, library, fifty study's, breakfast rooms, and the endless people whose job was to clean every inch of the mansion every single day. He was worried about what his parents would do once he went off to Harvard, and cringed when he thought of leaving John to their wrath.

From across the hall John heard a knock at his door, and opened it to find his father standing in the hall looking nervous.

"Hey son," he said.

"Hi, did you want to come in?" John asked.

"No, I just wanted to let you know that dinner is at 5 so dress nicely."

"I will dad."

His father looked at him once more before departing, and John stood at his open door wondering why they were having a family dinner in the middle of the week anyways.

To pass the time before hell began, the freshman text Brian who was currently in his dorm room working on a essay for English.

"_Hey, how's it going over there?"_

_ "Horrible, our English essay is impossible. What are you doing over there?"_

_ "Killing time before dinner."_

_ "Why are you having dinner with your family on a Monday?"_

_ "I have no idea. My parents are probably up to something."_

_ "Your brother's there too right?"_

_ "Yeah."_

_ "That's good."_

_ "What do you mean?"_

_ "I just don't want you to be alone over there."_

_ "It's my house Brian."_

Brian cringed when he read the text, and immediately felt bad. "_I'm sorry."_

_ "No, I'm sorry."_

_ "Will you text me after the dinner's over?"_

_ "Yeah."_

The two boys talked for a little while more until John had to get ready for dinner. He got dressed in a white button down shirt, Khaki pants and brown loafers. Tom met him on the way down, and they braced themselves for whatever was to come.

"Hello boys," their mother said addressing Tom.

They sat next to each other at the table, and John could tell something was going to go horribly wrong.

The cooks brought out incredible sea food dishes, and the family ate heartily in the silence.

"I know you boys are wondering why your mother and I wanted to hold this dinner, and we have an announcement," their father began as he gestured to his wife.

"Tom we are exceptionally proud of the work you have done, and the progress you have made throughout your high school career." Their mother turned to address John for the first time that day, but her voice was harsh, "John, you have disgraced this family and what we stand for."

John could feel himself flush with embarrassment, but she wasn't done.

"You have single-handedly destroyed the life of a great man, and your father and I will not stand for such behavior."

Tom could smell the venom his mother directed at John, and he opened his mouth to speak, "mother, if I may? John didn't say anything to anyone, another student spoke of the incident-"

"Bite your tongue Thomas! You dare speak and cross me? I am ashamed," cried the woman.

John felt himself shrink against the chair, and he wished to become part of it. He had lost his appetite, and was trying desperately not to cry.

The next words the senator's wife spoke destroyed him: "Jonathon, we are hereby disowning you as our son."

_I know we got it good, but they got it made,  
And their grass is getting greener each day,  
I know things are looking up, but soon they'll take us down,  
Before anybody's knowing our name  


* * *

_

"I messed up big time," Sophie wailed to a disinterested looking Amy during dinner that night.

"What are you talking about?" Amy practically screamed above the excited chatter in the dining hall.

"I told Blaine that I knew about his date."

"So?"

"So, he doesn't know I'm keeping tabs on him."

"Wait. What exactly did you do?"

"I saw his car at their local Olive Garden, and assumed that he made a reservation."

"I thought we agreed to take the GPS out of his car," Amy said pointedly.

"I know, but I don't want him to get hurt."

"That's completely understandable, but you can't follow him around. I'm sure there's a law against that somewhere, and besides you can't always be there to protect him."

"You want me to come clean about it?" Sophie said disappointed.

"Yes, especially if you want to keep his trust."

Sophie continued to pout, but she agreed to tell Blaine so he could take the tracking device out of his car.

"Living is a learning experience, and that boy is never going to grow if you keep babying him," Amy lectured.

Sophie rolled her eyes and said, "Okay Ms. 4.0 GPA."

"3.95."

"Oh big difference," Sophie said laughing. She had to admit that the GPS was an invasion of privacy, but she needed to protect Blaine. He was always so collected, but underneath she knew he struggled. His first year in high school had been treacherous, and she would be damned if the past was ever repeated.

* * *

_Tell me what you want to hear  
Something that were like those years  
Sick of all the insincere  
So I'm gonna give all my secrets away_

Blaine was livid as he rushed outside to remove the incriminating device from his car. How could she? He trusted her! Out of everyone he knew, except for Kurt, his cousin would be the last person he would think could betray him. He threw the piece to the ground, and stomped on it until he felt it shatter. He then leaned against the driver's side door to catch his breath before Kurt could see his frenzy.

_ "_Blaine?"

The junior's eyes shot open to see Kurt coming towards him slowly. Now there was no way in hell that the younger boy would ever want to be with him.

"Blaine?" Kurt called again. Something wasn't right with the older boy, and he needed to know what before it got the better of him. He was standing in front of Blaine now, and he put a hand to his shoulder tentatively. "What's going on? Why did you leave dinner?"

"Who can I trust?" Blaine cried.

Kurt was now royally confused, but he grabbed Blaine's hand and half dragged him back to the campus. Since everyone was still at dinner he brought the older boy to his room, and made him lie on his bed while he thought of what to say.

"What's going on?" he asked gently.

"I'm not good enough," Blaine replied into his hands.

Kurt was taken aback by the harshness of Blaine's words. He didn't understand where any of it was coming from. He shifted on the bed so he could hold the older boy, and asked, "what do you mean?"

Blaine clung tightly to the sophomore and said, "they told me I would never be good enough."

Even though Blaine's voice was muffled as he spoke into Kurt's chest, the younger boy heard every word. He knew the answer even as he asked, "who said that?"

"The kids at my old school," Blaine answered. He was drained of any emotion, and all he wanted to do was sleep.

Kurt kissed the top of Blaine's head lightly and said, "they are wrong. You are more than good enough."

Blaine nestled his face into the sophomore's neck and announced, "my cousin put a GPS tracking device in my car so she would know where I was at all times."

Kurt froze for a minuet in disbelief. That was going a little too far, and he felt a stab of anger at Blaine's cousin for doing such a thing.

"Blaine-" he started.

"I know why she did it," the junior said cutting him off. "She just wants to protect me, but I don't think that I can trust her right now."

"That's okay," Kurt replied softly.

They spent the next few minutes in silence before Blaine grew increasingly despondent, and clutched Kurt so tightly the younger boy gasped.

"What's wrong?" Kurt asked stroking Blaine's hair.

The older boy disentangled himself from the sophomore, and looked at him desperately.

"Kurt I…I need…please…" Blaine trailed off and closed his eyes.

The younger boy had never seen him look so dejected before, and he knew what the other boy needed. He reached for him, and pressed their bodies together. Blaine leaned against him and sighed, and Kurt shifted so he could take the junior's hand and then kissed the soft skin of his wrist. Blaine looked at him with so much need that the sophomore couldn't take it anymore. He lay down, bringing Blaine with him. At first the junior just rested his head on his chest, but then moved so he was laying on top of him. Kurt's pulse raced, as he tightened his hold on the older boy. Blaine needed to feel Kurt close to him, and know that he cared. The younger boy lifted Blaine's chin, and planted soft kisses along his cheekbone, jaw line, and chin. Blaine accepted them and then sighed into Kurt's chest. He wrapped his arms around the sophomore, as his mind went numb. Kurt was there for Blaine, and there wasn't anything more to it.

"I love you Blaine," Kurt said, as he stroked the older boy's back.

The junior picked his head up, and with a smile molded their lips together. The need was still there, and Kurt felt it as he pressed himself into the older boy. Their hearts were pounding together, and nothing could have prepared them for what they were experiencing. The heat from their bodies and the coolness of their lips, was nothing short of perfect.

_This time don't need another perfect lie  
Don't care if critics never jump in line  
I'm gonna give all my secrets away_

* * *

_All the right friends in all the right places  
So yeah, we're going down  
They've got  
All the right moves in all the right faces  
So yeah, we're going down  
_

John's mother's words echoed through the hall, and it seemed like an eternity passed before the message made any kind of sense to him.

"Mother-" Tom started.

"Thomas if you know what's good for you I suggest you be quiet now. This is not your place!" his father bellowed.

Tom stood up from the table, and reaching for his brother's hand said, "come on John, you don't need this from them."

An uproar had begun at the dining table, and both adults began speaking at once.

"You will not use that tone of voice with us!" said their father.

"I am ashamed of you Thomas," their mother exclaimed.

"And I am ashamed that you my mother," Tom replied coolly. He tried once again to drag John away from the situation, but the freshman wasn't moving.

In all honesty, John had had enough. He wasn't going to stand for this anymore, and he shot up from the table to scream, "fine! Disown me, I do not care!"

_It don't matter what you see_

"This is not my home, and you are not my parents!" he continued.

_I know I could never be_

"I haven't even been your son for years!"

_Someone that'll look like you._

He was on the verge of breaking but he kept going_, _"you two disgust me!"

_It don't matter what you say  
I know I could never fake  
Someone that could sound like you._

John finished, breathless, and stormed out of the house leaving his shocked parents behind. Tom quickly followed, and sat beside his younger brother on the snowy lawn. He wasn't sure what had just happened, but he knew somehow that John was stronger because of it. They sat there for a while, listening to the quiet sounds of winter, and watching a cat streak out from underneath a parked car.

"Let me take you back to Dalton," Tom said into the darkness. He felt John move beside him, and helped him stand up.

"What's going to happen to me?" John asked suddenly afraid.

"I don't know, but I will keep you safe. Maybe during the holiday breaks you can come to my apartment next year."

"You won't leave me alone with them?" John asked.

Tom looked at his younger brother. He could still see the dried tear marks on his cheeks, and he realized just how young John really was. "I promise, I will never leave you alone with them," he said.

The senior went inside to grab some things that they would need back at school, and without saying a word to his parents left with his brother in tow.

The ride back was interesting, but John knew that as long as he had someone who cared, that was all that mattered. He pulled out his phone to text Brian what happened during dinner, but thought against it and concluded that saying everything in person was the best way to go.

_Everybody knows, everybody knows where we're going  
Yeah, we're going down  
They say  
Everybody knows, everybody knows where we're going  
Yeah, we're going down  


* * *

_

**Chapter 8 out!**

**So once again the two songs were "Secrets," and "All The Right Moves" by One Republic.**

**In the next chapter it's Warbler's practice, and the set list for regionals is discussed as well as solos and duets. Who has a solo, who's singing a duet, and what does Blaine mean when he says he can't sing the solo chosen for him?**

**Reviews are like little spring flowers that blossom in my inbox 3**


	9. Chapter 9

**Hi Everyone!**

**Glee is back** **soon, and I can't wait to take my hour dose of Klaine 3**

**Thank you to everyone that reviews, and there are quite a few people who alert or favorite my story so thank you! One thing I would like to say is an extra thank you to everyone who gives constructive criticism in their reviews; it's great for me to figure out how to improve my writing, and make it more enjoyable for my readers :D**

**I do not own Glee…if I did the show would have an opening song.**

**Scroll on down!**

A Journey-Chapter 9

* * *

"What?" Blaine exclaimed. This was insane, he could not sing _that _song at regionals. He glanced around at the other Warblers for support, but only Kurt responded appropriately.

"I need to agree with Blaine here, the song choice is a little inappropriate for regionals," the sophomore said.

Wes looked at both boys, "We need to be able to adapt and grow to accommodate modern culture, and this song is the perfect way to begin that process."

Blaine sat down and still shocked replied, "This song is not the right way to go about this situation, and I will not sing it."

David rolled his eyes and banged his gavel before saying, "It's too late in the year to have someone else sing the lead, and therefore you need to be part of the team and do what is best for everyone."

Kurt smirked, and laughed inwardly at David's comment. He wasn't sure if that particular song was going to be good for anyone, and he was surprised that Tom wasn't objecting to the song choice.

As if on cue, Blaine asked, "What about you Tom? Are you really okay with us singing this song?"

The senior remained quiet, and it was soon clear this was a two to one thing with the council members.

"Imagine if your brother was being told to sing this," Blaine urged.

Tom's mood changed but his voice was steady as he replied, "There's nothing I can do."

Blaine shook his head in disgust, and he stood up and walked out the door.

Kurt was holding back the urge to go after him, and he crossed his legs so they didn't run away on him. He looked after the junior, and turned to see Wes staring at him exasperatedly.

"Just go Kurt," the senior said.

Kurt leapt up from the sofa, and bounded out the door to catch up with Blaine. He saw him round the corner down the hallway and called, "Blaine, I'm coming!"

Blaine stepped back, and saw the younger boy hurrying towards him. "I'm sorry Kurt, I just couldn't stay in there any longer."

Kurt closed the gap between them, and held Blaine to his chest while his heart continued to pound from running.

"Kurt, I can't sing that song," Blaine repeated a little frantic as he clutched the boy in front of him.

"I know, I wouldn't sing that song either," the younger boy replied. "I have an idea," he explained as they walked down the hall towards the double doors.

"Continue," Blaine said energetically.

The duo chattered excitedly about Kurt's plan as they made their way to their dorm rooms. Kurt had a group project in history that he needed to work on with some other students, and Blaine had an essay to write for AP English so they parted ways with a kiss that sent shivers up both boys' spines.

After Blaine shut his door, he headed over to his bed and sat down shakily. Kurt's plan sounded great, but could they get the other Warblers in on it? He glanced at his laptop, and then at the clock on his bedside table before settling in at his desk. As he typed in his password, he began to sing:

_On your palm an endless wonder  
Lines that speak the truth without a sound  
In your eyes awaits the tireless hunger  
Already looks for prey to run down_

_So why do we keep up this charade  
How do we tell apart the time to leave from the time to wait_

A few rooms down the hall, the younger boy was searching through his satchel for the assignment directions. He looked at the time briefly before concluding he still had a few minutes to himself, and then started to sing:

_The dance of flames and shadows in the street  
Make poetry nobody's ever heard  
The weight of loneliness stands on your feet  
The cage already there around the bird_

_So why don't we join the masquerade  
Before it all falls apart before our love becomes insatiate_

Both boys looked at their doors, and wondered what the other was doing at the exact moment as they sang the chorus:

_What does tomorrow want with me  
What does it matter what I see  
If it can't be my design  
Tell me where do we draw the line_

Blaine looked out the window, and watched a few students walking along the sidewalk. He wondered if any of them felt like him, and decided for the first time in his life that the feeling he felt was trapped. He went on to sing the next verse with tears in his eyes:

_Where's the cooling wind  
Where's the evergreen field  
Where's my mother's open arms  
Where's my father lionheart  
S'like the sun's gone down  
Sleeps in the hallowed ground now  
With the autumn's browns leaves  
With the one who never grieves  
_

Kurt sat on the edge of the bed as he sang the next couple lines:

_Whatever tomorrow wants from me  
At least I'm here, at least I'm free  
Free to choose to see the signs  
This is my line _

Blaine opened his half finished essay and Kurt walked to the door, while they sang the chorus one last time:

_What does tomorrow want with me  
What does it matter what I see  
If we all walk behind the blind  
Tell me where do we draw the line_

* * *

Tom caught up with Wes and David later that night as they were exiting the dining hall. The duo were chattering animatedly about regionals, and how they were sure to win.

"Hey guys," Tom started.

"Hey, we were just discussing regionals," David said.

"Yeah I heard," the other boy replied.

Wes and David looked at Tom carefully as they continued down the sidewalk. It was clear the other council member was going to try and talk them out of the song choice.

"Tom don't even try it," Wes began half threateningly.

"I just don't think we should sing that song, and I'm pretty sure we would be disqualified if Blaine sang that at regionals," Tom explained.

The boys had reached their dormitory, and Wes glanced back at Tom to say, "Everyone loves Blaine, and when he sings that song the judges won't be able to hold back their excitement."

"Exactly, their excitement to get us off the stage as soon as possible," Tom replied.

"Honestly Tom the artist is great, and so what if they lyrics are a little provocative," David said.

"A little?" Tom asked incredulously. "That's like saying Kurt has a _small _fetish for scarves, or Blaine uses _some _gel in his hair."

Once Wes thought Tom was done he said, "Stop being over-dramatic."

"Please rethink the song choice, and seriously what's gotten into you two? You two would have never chosen this song a year ago to sing even during practice!" Tom said frantically, as he followed Wes and David up the stairs and waited for an answer.

"Times have changed my friend," Wes continued as he opened his door.

"But-"

"Tom, drop it. This discussion is over," David said harshly.

Tom stood in the hall long after their discussion was over, and wondered for the second time what had gotten into some people. He went back down the stairs to search for Blaine and Kurt, and hopefully think of a plan to change Wes and David's minds.

He made the long trek to their dorm on the other side of campus, and after knocking on Kurt's door and getting the sophomore's roommate, he ended up outside Blaine's dorm room. He had lifted his hand half way to knock, but stopped when he heard laughter from within the room. He mentally cursed himself as he brought his hand to the door, and prayed that they weren't in the middle of…well, did he have to think it?

The door opened up a few moments later revealing a fully clothed Blaine, and he let out the breath he was holding as he greeted the junior.

Blaine took in the red faced senior, and smirked when he realized what Tom had thought Kurt and him were doing. "Do you want to come in?" he asked with a smile as held the door open so Tom could see Kurt _sitting _on the bed.

The senior peered inside cautiously, and Kurt gave him a smile from his spot on the bed. "Sure," he answered.

"A little worried?" Kurt joked when Tom joined him.

"I just heard laughter and then…" he trailed off suddenly embarrassed.

"Don't worry about it," Blaine said as he sat on Kurt's other side and took the younger boy's hand.

"So, I tried talking Wes and David out of the song choice without any luck," Tom explained.

"It's alright because I have a plan," Kurt said excitedly.

"What would your plan entail?" the senior asked.

Kurt spent the next ten minutes explaining his plan to Tom while Blaine listened intently, and put in a few words every now and then. Tom's face had gone from incredulous to eager for the next Warbler's meeting by the time Kurt had finished talking.

"I think that just might work," Tom said.

Kurt smiled and asked, "Will you do it with us?"

"It's probably not the best idea since I am on the council," Tom replied.

Kurt looked disappointed for a second, but a grin crossed his face and he said, "It's okay, as long as you're supporting us on this."

"Of course," Tom finished with a smile.

* * *

"Your parents disowned you?" Brian asked with wide eyes.

John just nodded, and stared at the wall.

The two freshman had gathered in a common room after the controversial Warbler's meeting, and John was giving his friend the run down from his family dinner the night before.

"What are you going to do when school gets out for the summer?" Brian asked.

John moved his eyes from the portrait on the wall to his friend's concerned stare and shrugged.

"Do you have any other family?" Brain prodded gently.

John finally opened his mouth to speak and said, "I do, but I don't think they would take me. But, Tom said when he goes off to college next year I can stay with him during breaks."

"He's moving out permanently?"

John smirked and answered, "He hates being home just as much as me."

"Okay," Brian said thinking. "So, you'll be all set for next year during the breaks, but what about the summer?"

"Tom is moving over the summer, so hopefully he'll take me with him," John explained.

"If there are any problems, you can always stay with me," Brian offered.

John struggled to swallow the lump forming in his throat, as he looked at his friend. "Thank you," he said, his voice thick with tears.

Brian gave him a warm smile, and leaned forward to embrace John quickly. He pulled back but was met with resistance, and he realized that his friend was clinging to him. He held the smaller boy for a few minutes, and felt his dress shirt dampen with John's tears.

"I ruined your shirt," John observed as he pulled back from his friend.

Brian laughed and replied, "I have about twelve other shirts, so I think it's okay."

The two boys laughed, and John was surprised when the air became heavy with silence. He looked at his friend, and turned his brow up in confusion at the change in atmosphere.

"Is everything okay?" Brian asked into the silence.

John mentally shook himself and said, "Yeah, sorry about that."

Brian gave him a cautious smile, but let his friend's behavior slide.

John felt a strange warmness in his chest, and he wasn't sure what to name it. It snaked around his rib cage to settle in his heart, and it pulsated in time with his heartbeats. He almost mistook it for nervousness, but it felt lighter somehow. It confused him, and all of a sudden, he was embarrassed.

Thankfully at that moment, Brian decided to take the conversation down a different road and he asked, "What did you think of practice today?"

John scoffed and replied, "I hope that we don't have to rely so heavily on Blaine for regionals if we can't change the song."

The other boy agreed and just as he was about to open his mouth, the door burst open revealing Kurt, Blaine and Tom. The trio strode through and Tom settled himself on the sofa next to his brother, while Kurt and Blaine sat on the adjoining sofa.

"Sorry about the impeccable timing," Tom said addressing both his brother and Brian.

"Were we interrupting anything?" Kurt asked as he took in John's flushed face, and the close proximity of the two freshman.

"No," John said. He was secretly happy that his brother and the other two boys came into the room because he definitely needed a breather.

Tom studied his brother closely before leaning into the cushions and saying, "Kurt has come up with a plan to change Wes and David's minds, and hopefully the song choice as well."

The two freshman listened to the sophomore discuss his idea, and were eager to be a part of the group.

"So," Kurt finished, "We'll all meet in the rehearsal room this Thursday at three to begin practice, and then we'll perform the song."

"This is going to be a complete surprise for Wes and David, so they can't know of our meeting," Blaine added.

Kurt nodded intently, and slipped his hand into Blaine's as he talked.

"We really want this to work, not only so Blaine doesn't have to sing that song, but also so we let everyone know that we don't always have to be part of the mold," Kurt stated.

Tom glanced at the sophomore and back to his brother, who after absorbing the information said, "We'll be there, right Brian?"

The other boy expressed his approval, and after a few minutes of small talk, the conversation came to a close.

* * *

Wednesday evening at dinner, a glass wall had formed between Wes, David and the other Warblers. Kurt thought the entire thing was childish, nonetheless, the two seniors wouldn't talk to the other members except to shush them every now and again when their voices carried across the table.

Blaine exchanged a quick kiss with Kurt before going to get his food, and he silenced his phone after receiving the tenth text message from Sophie in so many minutes.

The junior knew he couldn't avoid his cousin forever, but right now he had more pressing matters at hand than to listen to her apologize in multiple ways. He loaded his plate with chicken and vegetables, and walked back to his seat.

Kurt was deep in conversation with Tom regarding senior classes and college fairs when Blaine returned.

"Wow, so the planning should start freshman year?" Kurt asked.

"In theory yes, but most students just focus on their studies and find different clubs and activities that interest them," Tom explained.

"I haven't even started looking at colleges," Blaine announced.

Kurt turned to look at his boyfriend and said, "Long time no see."

The older boy laughed and dug into his potatoes while he continued, "Honestly, I'm kind of terrified by the whole idea."

"It is a pretty lengthy process, but you don't have to worry about it now," Tom said.

"You've been going on about college ever since I met you last year," Blaine pointed out.

"That's due to our parents," John interjected from Blaine's right.

Tom nodded at his brother and said, "My parents had my life planned out for me the day I was born."

A few boys at the table waited for the joke, but when they saw Tom press his lips into a fine line they realized there wasn't any joke.

There was an awkward silence for a few moments before Brian broke the ice, "Does anybody understand Latin?"

John smirked at his friend, and there were a few chuckles as the students began to converse again.

"I actually wasn't kidding," the freshman announced again.

Tom leaned forward, "I'll help you."

"Do you get brownie points?" Blaine joked.

The senior rolled his eyes and said, "I'd rather a slice of cake."

"They never serve cake at this school," Kurt complained.

"Dalton prides itself on it's healthy meal plans," Tom said.

"A slice of cake never hurt anyone," Kurt pouted.

"You can't have your cake and eat it too," Blaine said with a smile.

"Your just on roll tonight, aren't you?" Kurt replied as he picked up his napkin.

Blaine shrugged and broke out in a grin while he cut his food.

"You eat cake?" Jake asked from across the table.

"Why wouldn't I?" Kurt answered with a hint of annoyance lacing his words.

"Well," Tom started.

"You kind of have a strict hygiene routine," Kurt's roommate said.

"So?" Kurt said slowly.

Blaine decided to close the topic before the sophomore exploded, "They wouldn't think you're the type to like sweets."

Kurt could have said a million things; instead, he replied, "I like cake."

The boys breathed a sigh of relief, and finished their dinner in semi-silence.

"I hope they remember that," Kurt whispered in Blaine's ear.

"I'm sure they will, and if they don't I'll remind them," the junior assured him.

Kurt smiled and leaned into Blaine's shoulder while he finished his meal. He whispered something else, and the older boy gave him a questioning look before glancing at Jake.

"No sleepovers," he said sternly.

Kurt clucked his tongue and said, "You're no fun."

"I'm serious," the other boy repeated.

Kurt sighed and Blaine wrapped an arm around him, and pressed his lips to his temple.

Dinner came to a close shortly thereafter, and the students began to part ways to their rooms.

Kurt and Blaine made their way to one of the common rooms in their dorm, and sat together near the fireplace.

"Do you think it will work?" the younger boy asked.

"I think we have a good shot," came the reply.

Kurt felt a wave of fatigue wash over him, and he snuggled closer to his boyfriend's side.

Blaine moved his arm to wrap around the other boy, and rested his cheek against the top of his head.

If he tuned out the faint sounds coming from the fireplace, he could hear Kurt's easy breathing, and within minutes, the younger boy was asleep. He shifted his weight on the sofa so he was curled around him, and he felt a smile tug at the corners of his lips.

A few boys had come into the room, but he gestured at the sleeping boy beside him and was once again alone.

He sat unmoving for awhile, and focused on how Kurt's chest rose and fell with every breath. He slowly stretched himself out on the sofa, and brought the other boy down with him. Blaine had sunk into the cushions, and his heart swelled when he felt a cool breath on his neck.

Kurt stirred slightly, and he lifted his head to find a pair of eyes staring intently at him. He moved to sit up, but was stopped by Blaine's arms around his back.

"You don't have to get up," he whispered.

Kurt was still hazy with sleep, so he laid his head back down, and kissed Blaine's neck causing a ripple of crimson to follow.

The room was warm, and even though both boys were awake, they lay in silence wrapped up in the other.

Kurt continued to line Blaine's neck and chest in small kisses, and he smiled in satisfaction when he felt the older boy squirm beneath him. He leaned forward so their lips could meet, and smiled into the kiss when he heard Blaine emit a shaky breath.

Blaine tightened his hold on the younger boy, in an attempt to close the already nonexistent space between them. He loved the feel of Kurt against him, and relished in the physical contact that they shared.

Tom walked by the common room at that moment in search of his brother, and Blaine noticed the anxiety dampening his features.

The couple explained how John hadn't stopped by the room, and became unsettled when Tom turned down the hall in his frantic search for the freshman.

* * *

The next day, most of the Warblers had gathered in one of the main common rooms to hopefully change Wes and David's minds.

Kurt was going over everything with the rest of the boys, and made sure they knew what to do when the time came.

The boys took their places; most of them were seated on one of the many sofas and chairs, but Kurt, Blaine, John, and Brian stood in the center of the room, waiting for Tom to come back with the other seniors.

The anticipation in the room was heavy, and they felt the nerves settle around them. When the faint click of shoes filled their ears, they readied themselves, took a deep breath, and faced the incoming Wes and David.

Blaine stepped forward to greet the two boys, and took the first two verses when the two seniors sat down:

_Seems like everybody's got a price,  
I wonder how they sleep at night.  
When the sale comes first,  
And the truth comes second,  
Just stop for a minute and  
Smile_

_Why is everybody so serious?  
Acting so damn mysterious?  
You got your shades on your eyes  
And your heels so high  
That you can't even have a good time.  
_

Kurt took the floor with the pre-chorus, while Blaine's voice echoed the last words of every line:

_Everybody look to their left (yeah)  
Everybody look to their right (ha)  
Can you feel that (yeah)  
We're paying with love tonight...  
_

In a fit of dramatics, the boys leapt from their seated positions to join Kurt and Blaine for the chorus. Their acapella hum drifting over the words, and uniting to make their statement loud and clear: 

_It's not about the money, money, money  
We don't need your money, money, money  
We just wanna make the world dance,  
Forget about the Price Tag_

_Ain't about the (ha) Chi-Chang Chi-Chang.  
Ain't about the (yeah) Ba-Bling Ba-Bling  
Wanna make the world dance,  
Forget about the Price Tag._

Blaine continued to sing the next two verses while the other voices faded out. He looked at his small audience, and found the two boys slightly uncomfortable:

_We need to take it back in time,  
When music made us all UNITE!  
And it wasn't low blows and video Hoes,  
Am I the only one getting... tired?_

_Why is everybody so obsessed?  
Money can't buy us happiness  
Can we all slow down and enjoy right now  
Guarantee we'll be feeling alright_

Kurt picked up the pre-chorus once again, and walked around Blaine to where the two boys were seated:

_Everybody look to their left (yeah)  
Everybody look to their right (ha)  
Can you feel that (yeah)  
We're paying with love tonight...  
_

The Warblers joined together again, and focused on the presentation part of their performance. Some boys had formed a small group off to the side, while others were encircling the duo on the sofa:

_It's not about the money, money, money  
We don't need your money, money, money  
We just wanna make the world dance,  
Forget about the Price Tag_

_Ain't about the (ha) Chi-Chang Chi-Chang.  
Ain't about the (yeah) Ba-Bling Ba-Bling  
Wanna make the world dance,  
Forget about the Price Tag._

Blaine smiled as he sang the next verse, and he received a few shouts of approval from the other boys. His intention was to be as blunt as possible, and he put extra emphasis on the words with the most meaning:

_Yeah yeah  
Well, keep the price tag  
And take the cash back  
Just give me six strings, and a half stack  
And you can, can keep the cars  
Leave me the garage  
And all I, yes all I need  
Are keys and guitars  
And guess what, in 30 seconds  
I'm leaving to Mars  
Yeah we leaving across  
These undefeatable odds  
It's like this man  
You can't put a price on a life  
We do this for the love  
So we fight and sacrifice  
Every night  
So we ain't gonna stumble and fall  
Never  
Waiting to see a sign of defeat  
Uh uh  
So we gonna keep everyone  
Moving their feet  
So bring back the beat  
And then everyone sing  
It's not about the money  
_

The rest of the boys chimed in once more, and as Kurt sang the closing lines, they slowly retraced their steps back to their seats:

_It's not about the money, money, money  
We don't need your money, money, money  
We just wanna make the world dance,  
Forget about the Price Tag_

_Ain't about the (ha) Chi-Chang Chi-Chang.  
Ain't about the (yeah) Ba-Bling Ba-Bling  
Wanna make the world dance,  
Forget about the Price Tag._

_Yeah yeah  
Oh-oh  
Forget about the price tag _

Wes and David sat dumbfounded at their fellow group members; and they realized quickly just how important that song was to them, especially Blaine.

Blaine stepped forward, his breathing slightly erratic, and a flush covering his cheeks. "Do you know what we were trying to do there?" he asked.

The duo shared a knowing glance, and nodded reluctantly. They took notice of Kurt's offensive posture, and knew right then that the younger boy had planned the whole performance.

"We want you to understand that creating performances that don't include mainstream music or dance moves is okay, and that when we show people what we stand for as a group, we become stronger in the end," Tom explained.

There were murmurs of agreement throughout the room, and for once Wes and David had to step down as leaders, and join the ranks with the people they sang with.

Like they clearly heard, it wasn't about throwing away the old for the new, and becoming something that there weren't, it was about unity and standing together; something they had preached about since the beginning of the year.

After making arrangements to tweak the set list, and applauding the Warblers for their performance, the council members left the room. Soon after, boys in groups of two or three left as well, leaving Kurt, Blaine and Tom alone.

The eldest boy helped clean up sheet music and straighten the cushions with Kurt and Blaine in silence. They all felt the awkwardness in the air, and Blaine finally asked what was going on as he dusted off a table.

Tom took a seat, and motioned for the couple to sit as well. He was fidgety and nervous; something Kurt had never seen before. It took him a couple tries to begin speaking and when he did, his voice came out in a barely audible whisper, "I don't know what to do."

"What do you mean?" Blaine asked, studying his features.

"First they disown him, and now this," he continued in a monotone.

Kurt knew the topic of discussion was John, but he wasn't sure where it was going. From the sound of it, something major had happened again.

"Our parents are refusing to pay his tuition which means he would have to transfer to public school, but he wouldn't be able to live there," Tom explained sullenly.

Kurt had a look of confusion on his face, while he absorbed the information. He turned to Blaine, who in a moment of realization said, "It's their way of kicking him out."

"Is there another relative that he could live with?" Kurt asked.

"Our paternal Aunt lives twenty minutes away, but she has the same moral code as our parents, so she wouldn't take him in."

"Are there any Grandparents?" Blaine asked.

"We have a second cousin in Florida who would be happy to have him, but I don't want to ask her to pay Dalton's tuition, and he won't have any kind familiarity so I'm uneasy about him transferring."

Blaine was silent as he thought of a possible solution, and Kurt was busy wondering where John was now. "Well," Blaine said, "The only thing that I can think of is explaining the situation to your cousin, and then going from there."

"I had thought of that but we haven't spoken to her in years," Tom said, crossing his legs, "And I'm not sure how she would take a call out of the blue."

"The only thing you can do is try," Blaine continued softly.

"If you trust her," Kurt began, "Then I'm sure she'll do whatever she can to help."

Tom nodded. "If she can't help, then I'll take John with me when I move and get him situated at a public school."

That last statement caused a ruckus to explode, and Kurt and Blaine both began talking the senior down.

"Tom," Blaine said, "You cannot take on that kind of responsibility."

"Blaine is right, it's going to be too much for you," Kurt explained.

Tom smiled, "I appreciate your input guys, but this is something I'm willing to do for my brother. He's in high school and is able to care for himself when I'm in class, and it's not like I'm going to live on campus anyways. I'm going to rent an apartment five minutes from the university, and there's a great public high school not too far away, so this could work."

"Have you talked about this with your parents?" Blaine asked.

Tom smirked, "No, and they won't care. As long as they don't have to deal with him, they'll be happy."

Kurt exchanged a glance with Blaine. "So they won't be mad that you're helping him?" he asked.

"They'll frown upon it, but when I turn eighteen in two months, they won't be able to do anything about it." The two boys opposite him gave him confused looks, so he explained, "right now, their going through the legal process of disowning him, and when I'm eighteen, if my cousin won't take him in, I'm going to sign myself as his legal guardian. When he turns sixteen in year and a half, and wants to legally emancipate himself from me, then that's fine too."

Blaine nodded and asked, "Is there anything we can do to help?"

Tom gave a forced smile, "Show him that you care."

* * *

The weekend went by slowly; Jake flew around his and Kurt's dorm room Friday afternoon after classes, throwing clothes, and bathroom necessities into his suitcase for his journey home, Blaine had an exam on Tuesday, so he cooped himself up in his room with a couple five hour energy drinks and granola bars, and Kurt spent the evening trying on various outfits for his day out with Blaine on Sunday.

On a more serious note, Tom was unable to get a hold of his cousin in Florida, making his other plan look like the more probable one, and John was still coming to terms with the whole ordeal.

John sat in his room that night wondering where he went wrong. Would it have been better if the Dean wasn't fired, and they spent their days denying anything happened? And what about Kurt? Was he supposed to believe that Kurt wasn't hurt by that man either? His brother was willing to sacrifice so much for him, and while he was elated at Tom's selflessness, he didn't want to be a burden. He didn't have many choices, but he did have a choice about what he did. It was like Brian said, "you may not be able to choose what happens to you all the time, but you can choose how you respond to it."

Slowly he got up, and made his way over to the door. After making sure it was locked, he headed towards the bathroom in a dazed stupor. He shut the door quietly, and after hearing the knob click, he turned towards the cabinet, his fingers tingling with power and anticipation.

* * *

**That's all folks…for this chapter anyways!**

**The songs were "Where do We Draw the Line" by Poets of the Fall, and "Price Tag" by Jessie J, respectively. **

**In the next chapter, the Warblers head over to regionals, Kurt gets a surprise, and John finds out his fate.**

**Reviews are like chocolate, you can never get enough!**


	10. Chapter 10

**Hi Everyone,**

**It's the Regionals chapter, and there's quite a lot of drama, romance, angst, and pretty much everything else; it's a long one.**

**I do not own Glee…if I did there would be more Kurt and Burt scenes.**

**Have fun!**

A Journey-Chapter 10

* * *

Kurt's breathing hitched, and his eyes shot open as Blaine's lips traveled down to his collarbone.

They had taken advantage of the fact that Jake had left for the weekend, and were currently occupying Kurt's bed. A sliver of sunlight shone through the closed curtain, and highlighted the spaces between the two boys in odd shapes that changed form with every movement.

Kurt's fingers traced the curve in Blaine's back which elicited a shiver from the older boy, and made Kurt smile triumphantly. Blaine's eyes were sparkling with some emotion Kurt couldn't place, and he slowly kissed a fiery line from Kurt's jaw to his chin.

Kurt's lips parted at the contact but no sound escaped his mouth, and he pressed himself closer to the boy he was practically molded to.

Blaine reached behind him at that moment to grab Kurt's hands and pin them to the pillows, "Stay," he gasped.

Kurt smirked, "What's the matter?"

"You're distracting me," Blaine said pointedly.

Kurt shifted slightly, causing Blaine to gasp, "That's kind of the point."

Blaine let out a sharp breath, and continued pressing his lips to various parts of Kurt's neck.

Kurt slowly brought his hands down to wrap around the older boy's neck, "Is this okay?" he asked.

Blaine leaned forward to press their lips together, and he felt Kurt's pulse change beneath him. "Don't try anything funny," he said into the kiss.

"I hardly think putting my arms around you is funny."

Blaine traced Kurt's lips with his finger, "You know what I mean."

Kurt suddenly sat up, bringing Blaine with him, and rested his head on the older boy's shoulder. "Are you real?" he whispered.

Blaine's eyes grew soft, and he pulled the younger boy into his lap and gently stroked his hair, "Of course I am."

Kurt sighed and listened to Blaine's easy breathing, and smiled when he felt his breath wash over his neck. He moved his hand, searching, and when he found what he was looking for, their hands twined together. "I'm singing a duet with you at Regionals right?" he asked hopefully.

Blaine leaned down to kiss the top of his head and answered, "Yes we'll be singing together."

"Do you know what song we'll be singing?" Kurt asked lazily. He was focusing on the sensations Blaine's fingers made as he caressed his hand.

Blaine turned his cheek so it rested on the top of Kurt's head, "No, Wes and David are keeping it secret." When Kurt scoffed in response he added, "They say it's perfect for us though."

Kurt's shoulders shook with his laughter, and he replied, "If they mess up again, I think we'll have to start our own band."

Blaine smiled, "We would be great too." His fingers continued tracing patterns across Kurt's skin, and his heart swelled at the response he was receiving.

Kurt's breath grew heavy and his body settled against Blaine's; his eyes continued to close, and he felt the warmth of their bodies surround him like a blanket.

Blaine noticed the change in him, and gently laid him down into the pillows. Kurt began to object but was shushed, "It's okay, take a nap," the older boy responded.

"It's like one in the afternoon," Kurt said sleepily.

Blaine laughed, and pulled the sheets around the other boy. He shifted on the bed, and felt Kurt's hand wrap around his wrist. "Don't go anywhere," he said, his blue eyes swimming with desperation.

"I wasn't going to go anywhere," Blaine replied as he slid in next to the half sleeping boy. He kissed him lightly before being drawn against him, and falling into a heavy sleep.

* * *

_Beep…beep._ Tom's phone vibrated across his desk, the plastic shell scratching against the mahogany wood. He walked over to pick up his phone, and noticed there was a text from Brian. "_Please come to John's dorm, he's done something," _it read. Tom stared at the words on the screen, and blinked a few times before replying. He then grabbed his coat, and rushed down the hall. The front door slammed behind him, as he ran down the sidewalk to the other side of campus. His breath came in short pants, and he slipped twice on the ice. A million thoughts went through his mind, "_What happened? Is he okay? What does Brian mean by 'something?'"_

He ran past two boys who were walking in the opposite direction, but doubled back when he realized that they were Kurt and Blaine. The duo gave him equally quizzical stares, and he stopped short. "John's in trouble," he exclaimed.

Blaine stepped forward, holding tight to Kurt's hand, "What happened?"

"I don't know," Tom said turning back down the hallway. He heard footsteps following him, his heart hammering in his chest as he raced to find his brother.

The three boys stopped in front of John's dorm. The door was ajar, and Tom paused before pushing the door open and stepping inside.

A gasp escaped Kurt's lips, and Blaine looked equally shocked. The entire room had been upended; bed sheets lay scattered on the floor, pages from books littered the desk and bed, and Brian was supporting a drained looking John by the window.

Tom walked slowly over to his brother, taking care to step around the various items strewn throughout the room. "John?" he asked tentatively.

John's eyes were glassy and unfocused, and his lips brushed together silently.

Kurt moved to John's side, and questioned Brian, "When did you find him?"

"About fifteen minutes ago," he replied. There were tears in his eyes, as well as fear for his best friend.

"Hi, we need a nurse to the southwest dorm, room 111," Blaine instructed to someone on his phone. He listened intently to the receiver, "John Coleman. He's a freshman," he replied.

Tom took his brother from Brian's arms, and sat him down on the bed. He didn't seem to have any cuts or bruises, but he wasn't responding to any of the boys around him. Tom looked around, and noticed the bathroom door was shut. He motioned for Kurt to sit with him, and walked towards the closed door.

"Can you tell me what happened?" he heard Kurt ask John from the bed.

Tom blocked out the other boys, and reached out to turn the door knob. His stomach plummeted when he was met with resistance, and whirled around to get assistance.

Blaine had a bad feeling about this; he stuck his head out the door in the vain hope a nurse was coming without any luck. He exchanged a knowing glance with Tom, and then at the pale boy on the bed.

Brian sat down on John's other side with wide eyes, and tried to get John to talk. The small boy just sat silently, and laid his head on Brian's shoulder.

Tom moved to kneel in front of John, "How many did you take?" he asked softly. His looked at his brother, and saw his eyes widen at the question. "John, answer me."

John closed his eyes, allowing a tear to escape down his cheek, "…so tired," he whispered.

"Brian, keep him awake," Tom ordered. He got to his feet, and walked to the door. "Where is that nurse?"

At that moment, two men in white coats walked down the hall in a timely fashion, and Tom ran to meet them. "Please hurry…my brother…"

They picked up the pace, and went to stand by John. Tom followed, and stood at their heels. One of the men was asking John a series of questions, while the other was taking his vitals.

Brian had started crying, and even Kurt had tears in his eyes as they realized what was happening.

An ambulance was called, and Tom followed his brother into the emergency vehicle.

The President was soon brought down to the scene, and asked everyone questions about what happened, as well as took down their information to file away in her office.

"What's going to happen to him?" Brian asked shakily.

Blaine looked at the shaking boy, "I don't know, but their going to take care him." He motioned for them to follow him, and the trio made their way to Blaine and Kurt's dorm.

They walked up the stairs, passing by a few curious boys on the way. Blaine unlocked his door, and ushered Kurt and a still shaking Brian inside.

Once the door was closed, Kurt asked, "What was he doing when you found him?"

Brian leaned against the wall, and then moved to Blaine's bed before answering, "He was slumped on the carpet by the window. I went over, and crouched down beside him to ask what he was doing, but he didn't answer. I have never seen his room like that before, and I was afraid because he was acting like he wasn't really in the room with me."

Blaine nodded, "That was the medication he took."

Brian took a shaky breath, "I didn't even know that he was still on the medication."

"He didn't want you to know," Blaine replied, his voice soft.

"I thought he had everything figured out. He said he was going to live with Tom during the breaks, and that there wasn't going to be anymore problems," Brian continued, his voice growing frantic.

Kurt put a hand on his shoulder, "He didn't want to worry you."

Brian stared at his hands, his head hurt, and he just wanted to go to sleep. These kinds of things didn't happen to people, and as he looked around the room, he wondered why the furniture seemed to move with his eyes. "I just…don't know," he said, his voice trance-like.

"I know, let us take you to your room," Blaine suggested.

The older boys helped him stand, and walked with him to his room. He fell into his dorm in a fluid motion, and moved to the bed in a daze.

Kurt got him some aspirin, while Blaine took some blankets out of the closet. Once situated, Brian gave them a sleepy smile, and murmured thank you.

They retreated shortly thereafter, and wondered what was going to happen now that a storm had fallen upon them.

* * *

The next day, Wes and David decided to hold a small meeting for the Warblers, after Tom had called them from the hospital.

Only a few boys showed because of the specific day, but the others had all gotten emails explaining the situation.

Wes called the boys to attention, "The event that occurred yesterday affects us all, and our thoughts go out to both John and Tom." It seemed like any negativity between the council members and the other Warblers had subsided since Friday.

"It doesn't look like John will be joining us for Regionals next week, however, at this point in time, anything could change," David explained to the group.

A few boys shuffled their feet, and a chatter began among the younger members. A junior named Theodore shushed them, and glanced sideways at Brian, who was sitting to his right.

The freshman had been quiet all morning, which caused many of his peers to worry for him. Despite his protests, Blaine had set up a counseling session for him with the school's therapist during his free period Monday.

Even though John was the bearer of multiple problems, his depressed demeanor affected Brian deeply, and everyone wanted to make sure that he had someone to talk to if he felt the need.

"Does anyone have any concerns or comments before we wrap up the meeting?" Wes asked.

Everyone looked around the room, and shook their heads.

Wes banged his gavel, "Okay, we'll meet again for our usual rehearsal Tuesday at threes."

The group dispersed, a ruckus of bags and shoes as they filed out the door. Brian stayed behind to talk to the two council members, and Kurt gave him a smile as he walked out with Blaine.

The couple headed in the direction of the dining hall for lunch. Blaine reached down and took Kurt's hand in his while they walked. As they passed a gazebo Kurt said casually, "It seems warmer today."

Blaine nodded and surveyed the land around them, "Maybe it'll stay like this."

Kurt eye's sparkled, "You know what this means."

Blaine smiled but shook his head, "No, what does this mean."

"I have to buy a whole new wardrobe," he answered beaming.

Blaine put two and two together, "I assume you'll drag me along with you?"

"You assume right," Kurt replied. "Have you seen the new spring collection by Marc Jacobs?"

The older boy chuckled, "No, but I'm sure you have a magazine somewhere."

Kurt nudged him with his shoulder, "You know me so well."

As Blaine held the door open he said, "I would hope."

They picked the day's special, and took a seat at their usual table. The sun shown through the windows, but the mood was off. The students remained mostly silent throughout their meals, speaking only to ask a question regarding things like Tuesday's homework, or to pass the salt.

Blaine pushed his food around with is fork, "I think," he began, "that we might have to change our day out to a night out some other time."

"Anything is fine with me," Kurt said as he took a sip of iced tea. He felt Blaine's hazel eyes glide over his features, "Is everything okay?" he asked.

Blaine's eyes never left his, "Are you okay?"

Kurt wanted to look away, but he felt pinned by his boyfriend's concerned stare. He crossed his legs under the table in a nervous gesture, "I'm just worried."

Blaine drew him into a hug, and ran his fingers down his spine. Anything he could have said would have been too cliché, so he settled for holding the younger boy to his chest.

Kurt kept his eyes open and held his breath in an attempt to control the stream of tears that were forming. When he did breathe again, it came out as a jagged gasp, and he felt Blaine's lips caress his cheek.

"I love you," Blaine whispered, his lips floating over Kurt's cheek. The latter boy couldn't hold the tears back any longer, and they spilled out over his cheeks in a frantic rush, only to soak through his dress pants in an abrupt finish.

* * *

Classes dragged by that Monday, and Kurt found himself glancing at the clock almost every five minutes in each of his classes. He was anxiously waiting for Tom to call and update on John's condition, and he had a satchel full of homework to begin.

After his last class, he made his way to his dorm room, tired but determined to begin work. He saw shadows on the other side of his door, and walked in to see Jake putting away freshly washed clothes.

Jake stopped, "Hey."

"Hi," Kurt nodded, making his way over to his desk.

Jake hung up the last pair of pants, "How are you?" he asked.

"I'm doing alright," Kurt said conversationally. He opened his books, and sat down with a pen in his hand.

Jake sat down on the edge of his bed, "How are you _really _doing?"

Kurt peeled his eyes from his book, "It's all kind of jumbled, honestly."

"Have you thought about talking to anyone?"

"I don't need too," Kurt replied.

Jake didn't miss the shortness in his roommate's voice, but he knew the subject wasn't closed. "If you ever-" he began.

"I'm not the one who overdosed," Kurt spat, cutting him off mid-sentence.

Jake shrunk back slightly, "I know, but when someone makes a choice like that it affects everyone close to them."

Kurt remained silent, and turned the page, his eyes skimming over the words. "I have homework," he replied.

Jake waited one more minute before picking up the laundry basket, and putting a hand on Kurt's shoulder.

Kurt didn't breathe, and waited until he heard the door close before exhaling sharply, and resuming his assignment.

He was halfway done with his math homework when he heard his phone ring. He rose to look at the caller id, and picked it up when he recognized his father's number.

"Hi dad. No this is fine."

He listened intently for a few moments, and then sat down at the next thing Burt said. "What?" he asked into the receiver.

"No, sorry I understood you," he said astonished. "Are you sure?"

Burt mumbled something else, and Kurt nodded. "Okay, thanks for telling me. Do you know why?"

Kurt was so wrapped up in his conversation, that he didn't notice Jake come back into the room.

The other boy stood awkwardly, waiting for Kurt to finish, and trying hard not to listen. He didn't really know what was going on. He caught something about Kurt's old school, but that was it.

Kurt ended the call shortly thereafter, and sat still for a moment, absorbing the information his dad had told him. He got up, and turned around to see Jake politely looking away.

Kurt cleared his throat, "Hey," he said stiffly.

"Did I interrupt anything?" Jake asked.

Kurt took a seat on his bed, "No." His face still held it's look of shock as he asked, "Do you know where Blaine is?"

Jake shook his head, "I haven't seen him."

Kurt let out a shaky breath, "Okay, I need to call him."

"Is your dad okay?"

"Oh yeah, definitely, I'm just shocked is all." Kurt replied. He thumbed through the contact list of his phone, and dialed Blaine's number.

Blaine picked up on the second ring, "Is everything okay?"

"I wish people would stop asking me that," Kurt replied. "I need to talk to you about something, could you come to my room?"

Kurt heard static from the other line, "Sure, I'll be right there."

He ended the call, and waited for his boyfriend to come and see him. "_What happened?"_ he wondered.

When he looked up again, he saw Jake still standing patiently. "Did you need something?" he asked.

"Did Tom call you back?"

Kurt checked his missed calls, "No," he answered.

Jake looked disappointed, "Okay." He turned to go but halted, "Will you be okay until Blaine comes?"

Before he could say anything, Blaine peered inside the room from the hall. Jake followed Kurt's gaze, and invited the junior in with a wave of his hand.

Kurt felt an arm wrap around his middle as Blaine took a seat next to him, and he suddenly felt lighter now that he was here.

Jake bid them farewell, and turned down the hallway.

Once they were alone, Blaine pressed his lips to Kurt's forehead, "What's going on?"

Kurt swallowed nervously, "It's Karsofsky."

Blaine stiffened on the bed, "What about him?"

"He got expelled, for good this time."

* * *

"Sshh! Quiet down!" Wes shrieked, as Kurt hurried out the door.

The Warblers waited with bated breath, and Brian's eyes followed him as he talked in hushed tones to Tom on the phone. Blaine got up from his spot on the sofa, and leaned against the doorframe for the news.

"Hey," Tom said. "How is everyone?"

Kurt didn't miss the fatigue in the senior's voice, "We're doing okay, how are you and John?"

"I'm fine, John is going to stay here for the next couple days."

"How is he?"

"Tired, he's been sleeping a lot." Tom paused, "He won't be joining us for Regionals."

"How did he take the news?"

Tom sucked in a breath, "He wasn't happy."

Kurt caught Blaine's eye and nodded once, "I'm sure, but it's good that he's there."

Blaine walked back inside the rehearsal room to give Wes and David the news.

Kurt continued, "Where will he stay?"

"The doctors are transferring him to a unit on the second floor with other kids his age," Tom explained.

"Have your parents come to visit?"

"No. However, I finally got a hold of our cousin, and she's going to come up and see him."

Kurt smiled, "That's great, when is she coming?"

"She'll be here tomorrow. Kurt, I'm not sure if I'll be able to make Regionals either. I may have to take a few days, and explain everything to my cousin."

"That's alright," Kurt replied. "I'll let everyone know."

They ended the conversation after that, and Kurt slipped his phone back into his pocket before returning to the other boys.

Wes was handing out the new set list when Kurt sat back down, and Brian discreetly stood up to sit next to him.

They whispered back and forth for a few minutes while Wes finished making his way around the room.

The sound of a gavel resonated across the walls when Wes sat back down. "Okay everyone, while we are saddened by the turn of recent events, the show must go on," David spoke. "The papers you're all holding contain our song choices for Regionals, and this time there will be no exception," he continued, shooting daggers at Kurt and Blaine.

Kurt looked down at the printed type and gasped. He met Blaine's wide eyed smile, and then at Wes who appeared bored.

"I told you they thought the song was good for us," Blaine whispered.

"The two songs are 'Here in Your Arms' by Hellogoodbye, and 'Funny The Way It Is' by the Dave Mathews Band," Wes explained. "Kurt and Blaine will duet on the first song, and we'll all sing the second song together," he continued.

"We were thinking that we would open with 'Funny The Way It Is' like our normal routines, and then go into the duet," David said. The rest of the boys nodded in agreement, and stared at the red face couple.

Wes pushed his chair back and stood up, "Let's start rehearsing."

The boys formed a group, and went over choreography and lines for the next several hours. While their bodies were learning their steps, their thoughts were with Tom and John, and they all knew Regionals wouldn't be the same without them.

* * *

"Will you go back to McKinley?" Blaine asked. He was lounging on Kurt's bed Wednesday afternoon finishing his homework.

Kurt peeked his head out of the bathroom, "I don't know." He finished wiping down the counter and yelled, "Jake! Don't make such a mess!"

Jake flushed a charming shade of scarlet from his desk, and buried his nose in a book, "I'm sorry, I had to hurry this morning."

"I'll say," Kurt replied. He threw the soiled towel into the hamper, and washed his hands.

When he joined Blaine on the bed he was met with a humorous pair of eyes, "You fight like an old married couple."

Kurt swatted him playfully, "The only person I want to fight with in seventy years is you."

Blaine beamed and folded Kurt into a hug.

A loud noise sounded from the corner a second later, "Trying to work here," Jake announced.

Kurt leaned back a respectable distance, but rolled his eyes at his roommate's comment.

Blaine pressed his fingers to Kurt's cheek, "Will you leave?"

Kurt could hear the anxiety in the other boy's voice, "I won't leave this year, but I don't know about next year. Dalton is expensive, and I don't want my dad and Carole to have to sacrifice any more for me than they already have."

Blaine touched his cheek, "It's your dad's job to keep you as safe and happy as humanely possible, and I would hardly call that a sacrifice."

Kurt swallowed, and his vision blurred with tears, "My dad could be using this money for something that he can actually enjoy."

Blaine took Kurt's hands in his, "Knowing that you're happy here makes him happy."

"I don't want to interrupt anything," Jake interjected, "but Blaine is right. You deserve to be happy and feel safe, no exception."

Kurt's lips turned up in a small smile, and he felt his cheeks grow warm. "Thank you," he whispered.

"Your welcome," Blaine replied. "Do you know why he got expelled?"

Kurt shook his head, "No, Principle Figgins wouldn't tell my dad. He just recently found out, but whatever Karofsky did, it must have been really bad because he's not coming back."

Blaine nodded, looking thoughtful. "Maybe that's best."

* * *

"If he moves, it's not the end of the world," Wes exclaimed.

Blaine stared back, and remained silent.

The senior sighed, and stood up to sit next to the sullen looking boy. "Kurt transferred here because he wasn't safe at his old school, right?"

Blaine nodded.

"Now that it's safe for him to go back, there's no reason why he shouldn't," Wes said softly.

"Do you want him to go back?" Blaine asked finally.

"I don't think my opinion really matters here. I think that whatever Kurt chooses will be okay."

Blaine shifted uncomfortably on the sofa, and focused on a dark shadow on the wall.

"What are you afraid of?"

"He just assumes that he'll go back next year, and it makes me think that it's his way of breaking up."

Wes raised a brow, "If he moves it's not because he doesn't love you, it's because he wants to be surrounded by his friends back home again and lessen the financial burden for his dad."

There was a long stretch of silence, and Wes's words hung in the air as Blaine processed them.

"You're right," Blaine said in amazement. "I don't know what got into me."

"Kurt is your first boyfriend. It's going to be bumpy and messy, but it's also going to be amazing and incredibly mushy."

Blaine flushed and looked away, but he also thought about what Wes was saying. He realized he was clueless at romance, and like everyone else his age, he had no idea what he was doing.

Wes leaned forward in his seat, "Do you get what I'm saying?"

"Yes," Blaine replied. "Thank you. Now I need to go find Kurt."

Wes met Blaine's eyes with a smile, "Have fun."

Blaine stood up, and ran down the hall to find his boyfriend. He knocked on his door but after a few minutes of waiting, he turned around and called him. As he neared the stairs, he heard the voicemail pick up, and left a brief message. He stepped down the first stair, and saw Jake round the corner coming up to the second floor. "Have you seen Kurt?" he asked.

Jake shook his head, "No, I haven't."

Blaine thanked him and raced down the stairs, his heart pumping hard. He had a bad feeling in his stomach, and his mind swam with dark thoughts. He checked the dining hall, the rehearsal room and called him once more before he found himself in the parking lot. He looked for Kurt's car, and his heart plummeted when he found the spot vacated.

* * *

"I can't thank you enough for coming," Tom said as he and Melissa sat down in one of the hospital's conference rooms.

His cousin waved his comment away with a flip of her hand, "It's no problem at all, I am very happy to help."

Tom nodded and gave an answering smile.

"So tell me what's been going on." She leaned forward in her seat, and waited attentively for Tom to begin. Although she hadn't spoken to her cousins in years, she was happy he had called her, but when she found out the reason, she was enraged. She flew right up to see Tom and John, and she had met with their parents briefly. The two adults seemed less than pleased to see her, but when they realized that she would hopefully take their youngest son off their hands, they set up a time to sign off on the papers.

Tom's voice shook as he explained the events from the last couple months up until the previous weekend, and how he was completely alone in caring for John.

Melissa's face gave no look of shock or disgust as she took everything in, and when he finished speaking she had already made her decision.

Two floors down, the hospital doors opened up, revealing a tall boy dressed in a dark blue blazer.

"Hi, John Coleman." Kurt said from behind the receptionist desk, as he waited patiently to see the freshman.

"Are you family?" the nurse on duty asked.

"No, a friend from school," he answered.

"I'm sorry but he isn't permitted to have any visitors besides family," she replied.

Kurt's face fell, "Okay, thank you." He turned around, and noticed Tom walking down the hall towards him. He gestured to the senior, and met him halfway down the hall. "Hi, how are you?"

"We're hanging in there," Tom replied. His shoulders slumped, and his eyes were bloodshot; Kurt concluded that he hadn't slept in quite a while. They made their way over to the waiting area, and sat down next to a small table filled with magazines and tissues. "Are you guys ready for Regionals?"

Kurt nodded, "Yeah, we're wrapping up rehearsals this week."

Tom gave a small smile, "You'll do great."

There was a short break of silence, and Kurt surveyed the area around them. There were nurses, doctors and other workers bustling around the hospital, and phones seemed to be ringing every five minutes. "Has anything changed?" he asked, turning back to Tom.

"John's adjusting well, and he's getting along with the other kids," Tom said with a smile. "He's been getting a lot of support, and I just spoke with our cousin from Florida."

Kurt listened intently, his lips turning up in a smile. "That's really good, what did she say?"

"She's willing to do anything to help us, and it looks like John will move in with her over the summer."

Kurt beamed. He was hardly able to contain his excitement, and he had to remember that he was in a hospital. "That's awesome," he exclaimed. "Does he know yet?"

"Yeah, and they got along great so it's looking pretty good."

Kurt nodded, his smile filling his whole face and touching his eyes, "That's great."

Tom nodded, "I'm just worried about what will happen when he's released."

"Are they going to refer him to a therapist?"

"Most likely," Tom sighed and put his head in his hands. "I've been a wreck these last few days," he said quietly.

A wave of sympathy washed over Kurt, and he leaned forward in his seat, "Tom, anyone in your position would be a wreck. You've been taking this all on by yourself, and everyone is surprised that you're still going strong. Let your cousin share some of the responsibility, and know that you and John have support."

Tom let out a breath and straightened up, "Thank you."

"Were all here to help," Kurt replied reaching up to squeeze Tom's shoulder. He felt his phone vibrate in his pocket for the fourth time, and took it to see who the caller was. "It's Blaine," he said looking at Tom.

"Go out into the lobby," Tom told him. "They don't like it when people use their phones here."

Kurt stood up, and walked past the nurse's station out into the lobby. He picked up on the last ring, and heard Blaine breathe a sigh of relief.

"I'm sorry Blaine," he said in hushed tones.

Blaine sat down on the sidewalk, "I'm just glad you picked up, where did you go?"

"I went to the hospital to visit John, but they wouldn't let me see him," Kurt said.

"They usually don't. Did you see Tom?"

Kurt nodded, "Yeah, I was talking with him before you called."

"Okay, I'm glad you weren't alone there," Blaine sighed.

"I'm going to come back now," Kurt announced.

"Okay, call me when you're five minutes away, I'll come meet you."

They hung up, and Kurt walked back inside to say goodbye to Tom. He glanced at the waiting area but found it empty. He approached the receptionist, but she hadn't seen Tom leave. He thanked her, and left a message for him before he left.

The drive back to Dalton seemed longer than the drive to the hospital, and Kurt found his thoughts wandering from John to Blaine, and then to Regionals. He caught up to traffic, and sat patiently while he waited, inching forward every minute for the next two miles. Finally traffic dispersed, and everyone picked up the pace. He switched lanes as he got closer to his exit, and took the bend closest to Dalton.

The sun was setting at a rapid pace, casting long shadows as he passed businesses and residential areas.

Finally, he passed the coffee shop they enjoyed going too, and called Blaine to let him know he was close.

As he pulled into the parking lot, he saw Blaine coming out the dorm towards him. He slid smoothly into his space, and turned off the engine. Blaine bounded to his door, and pulled him into a hug when he got out. "I am so happy to see you," Blaine whispered in his ear.

"I worried you a lot," Kurt stated.

Blaine pulled back, "Well you leave without telling anyone, and all these scenarios kept running through my head."

Kurt crushed himself to Blaine, "let's go inside."

They walked back up the sidewalk, linked only by their hands.

"Come to my room?" Blaine questioned.

Kurt laughed, "Is your roommate ever there?"

Blaine smiled, "He has a part time job in the evenings, so he doesn't come back until nine-thirty."

"Ah," Kurt nodded.

Blaine unlocked his door, and motioned for Kurt to go inside.

Kurt went to the bed, and sat down while Blaine slid out of his blazer and took off his tie. His cheeks flushed, and he turned away until the sounds of clothing being shed silenced.

Blaine took a seat besides Kurt, and looked at him with an amused expression on his face.

Kurt's eyes traveled from the window to Blaine's amused features, and he flushed in spite of himself. "What?"

Blaine continued smiling, "I wasn't undressing you know."

"Obviously," Kurt stated, gesturing to Blaine's dress shirt and pants that clothed his body.

"You're blushing," Blaine said in a sing song voice.

Kurt looked down, and nudged Blaine's shoulder in a half hearted attempt to get him to stop talking.

Blaine replied by wrapping his arms around Kurt, and pulling him to his chest.

Kurt molded himself to Blaine, and wished that his cheeks would stop flaming. The older boy leaned back and gave him a careful look before he laid back, bringing him with him.

At first, they lay on their sides facing one another, and focused on the heat between their bodies. Then, Kurt slid closer to his boyfriend, and Blaine opened his arms for him. They wrapped themselves in the embrace for a little while, just listening to the sounds of their breathing. Kurt shifted onto his back, and felt Blaine's hand slide down to rest on his hip. He froze, and felt Blaine do the same.

"Is this okay?" Blaine asked.

Kurt turned his head and leaned closer to Blaine, causing his shirt to rise up. Blaine's heart pounded violently in his chest, as he felt Kurt's skin beneath his hand. Kurt leaned into his touch, and smiling said, "You're not breathing."

Blaine scoffed, "I wonder why," he said sarcastically.

Kurt smiled in satisfaction, and leaned his head against Blaine's shoulder.

He felt his brain turn to mush, and his skin engulf in sparks as Blaine's fingers drew slow circles along his hip. He tried not to think of how close Blaine's fingers were to other parts of his body, and he closed his eyes to the sensation now filling him.

After the room grew dark, and the shadows retreated to their designated corners Blaine spoke, "Did his cousin show up?"

Kurt nodded, "Yeah, everything seems to be going well. Their going to have a lot more help now, and John seems to be adjusting smoothly."

"Good," Blaine answered.

* * *

The school had become a flurry of nerves and growing anticipation as regionals crept closer, and the Warblers had been rehearsing almost everyday in preparation.

"Are you excited for tomorrow?" Blaine asked, as he sat down next to Kurt.

"Yes, but I'm not sure I'll sleep tonight," he replied laughing.

"That's alright, I'll be up at three tomorrow morning making sure my hair behaves," Blaine smiled.

Kurt eyed Blaine's well behaved curls, "How much gel do you use?"

"Trust me," Blaine replied, "You do not want to know."

Kurt smiled, his blues eyes shining with suppressed laughter, and he looked around him to see Brian poking his food with his fork. "Brian?" he questioned.

The quiet boy snapped his head up quickly, wincing at the pain it caused before meeting Kurt's eyes.

"How is everything?" Kurt asked.

Brian's eyes searched the table nervously, and he took in Kurt's concerned expression with disdain. He didn't want people worrying about him, he was fine, in fact the only person they should be worried about was John. He murmured some half hearted answer, and went back to pushing his rice around. It clung to his fork, and the more he stared at it, the more he was disgusted by it.

"Brian."

He sighed and put his fork down with a clank, "What?"

Kurt stared back with wide eyes, and Blaine studied his demeanor as he spoke, "Can we go over to a table by the window?"

Brian glared and spat angrily, "Nothing's going on!"

Blaine didn't bat an eye, "Okay, what's on your mind?"

Brian glanced around him and lowered his eyes, "It's my fault."

Blaine leaned forward, "What's your fault."

Brian ran his hand through his hair, "When we left to go to our rooms that night, he seemed distant and I..I didn't think anything of it."

Blaine clasped his hands together, and licked his lips as he thought of how to word his next sentence. "Brian, I want you to look at me," he said seriously. He waited until Brian's eyes met his, "I know how easy it is for you to blame yourself for John's actions, but you cannot do that."

"But-"

Blaine interrupted him, "No, Brian. This is not in anyway your fault."

"I should have seen it."

"Did John ever seem like he wanted to kill himself?" Kurt asked tentatively. "Did he ever talk about it, or give you any reason to believe he wanted too?

"No, and that's the problem," Brian cried. A few boys at the table gave him worried glances, and some stared pointedly at their food. "After the incident with the Dean, he never talked to me about personal stuff, and I felt like he kept pushing me away. He only began opening up to me again a few days before he overdosed. " With that last remark, he put his hand to his mouth, shoved his chair back and rushed down the aisles to the doors. He ripped them open, and left the dining hall leaving Blaine and Kurt hurrying after him.

They found him sitting on a bench by his dorm, staring at the ground in an attempt to hide his tears. Blaine sat down next to him, and Kurt sat on his other side. "Brian, did you go to the counseling session?"

Brian sniffled a few times, "No," he whispered.

"Why not?" Kurt asked softly.

Brian was silent for a few moments, "I didn't go because then I would have to think about what happened, and that would just make it real." He shook his head sadly, "I mean, I know it's real, I found him, but, everything was a blur, and I didn't actually realize what had happened until the ambulance was rushing him away."

"This is scary," Blaine said, "and, the only thing we can do is support him, and be there for him every step of the way. Everyone is going to deal with this in different ways, and that's why we need to talk about it."

Brian nodded, "Okay."

Kurt smiled and gave him a small hug, "Everything will be okay."

The younger boy smiled through his tears, and for the first time that week he felt as if a weight had been lifted.

* * *

Their bus pulled into the parking lot three hours before New Directions was scheduled to perform. They were going to be performing second, right after New Directions, but before Aural Intensity.

The doors rolled open, and the Warblers filed out, forming a tight group as they walked up to the double doors.

Hand in hand, Blaine and Kurt speed walked to the food court in the back of the lobby, desperate for something to eat. They put in their order, and came face to face with Sue.

"Well if it isn't Porcelain and Porcelain's unnaturally short boyfriend," she commented.

Kurt stared at her, "How did you know?"

She gave a dramatic sigh, "If your sickening giddiness wasn't explanation enough, then I would have to say your linked hands would have been my next answer."

"Oh," Kurt replied, his brow raising up as he took in her track suit turned business outfit.

"Your food," the woman behind the counter said, her hands filled with sandwiches and fountain cups. They took their food, and headed over to where the other Warblers stood.

"Does she always dress like that?" Blaine asked, turning around to catch a glimpse of Sue, who was now yelling at another customer next to her.

Kurt nodded, "Yes she does."

"I don't think I've ever met anyone quite like her," Blaine noted in amazement as he unwrapped his sandwich.

Kurt finished putting the cover on his drink, "Oh trust me, she is one of a kind."

Blaine smiled, and they tuned in to hear Wes ask, "…any questions?"

Kurt met Blaine's eyes with a confused look, "We're sorry, we didn't catch the first part."

David sighed and Wes had a pained expression on his face, "Please, pay attention to what we're doing here instead of the lady in the," his eyes moved over Sue's outfit, "track suit," he finished, eyes narrowing.

Kurt suppressed a laugh, and Blaine's lips turned up at the corners.

The two council members led the group towards the elevator, and made their way to their room to wait for the performances.

Kurt caught sight of Brian in the front of the group, and hurried forward to catch up with him, a confused Blaine in his wake. "Hey Brian," he said.

The freshman turned around, "Hey." He looked tired, and Kurt could tell he was trying as hard as he could to keep his thoughts on their performances.

Kurt crowded into the elevator with the other boys, "How are you doing today?"

"Alright," he answered.

The floor lurched under their feet as they flew up to their destination, and Brian put his hand on the wall in an attempt to steady himself.

Kurt took in his white expression and wide eyes and placed a comforting hand on his shoulder.

"I'm okay," Brian stuttered, his breathing erratic.

The elevator let out a single 'ding' as the doors opened up to the third floor. Brian was the first one out, and he breathed a sigh of relief in the hall.

Blaine stood at Brian's side, "I'm going to remind you to take the stairs next time."

"I'm just a little claustrophobic," he replied.

"Exactly our point," Kurt explained, as they made their way to a sofa on the far side of the room.

"Can we get you something to drink?" Blaine asked.

Brian shook his head, "No, I'm better now."

"Okay, there's a food court downstairs if you want something," Blaine told him.

Brian smiled, "Thank you."

Wes banged his gavel on the desk, "Okay everyone we need to continue rehearsing."

Kurt leaned towards Blaine, "He brought his gavel with him?"

Blaine smirked, "I'm surprised he doesn't take it to his classes."

Kurt smiled, and turned back towards the front of the room. "This should be fun," he said.

Blaine smiled, and for the next two hours they practiced their lines and steps until it was ingrained in their heads.

David gave them a round of applause when they finished 'Here in Your Arms' for the sixth time, and smiled enthusiastically at the group.

Kurt was sure his hair had come undone, but when he caught a glimpse of Blaine he had to press his lips together to keep from laughing. His boyfriend's face resembled that of a cherry tomato, and a few curls had begun to strain against the gel holding them to his head.

Blaine followed Kurt's gaze, and raised a tentative hand to the top of his head. His face fell when his fingers tangled in the runaway curls, and he fished inside his pocket for his phone. "Kurt, do they have a convenience store here?" he asked, his voice tinged with desperation.

"Uh probably not, this is a theatre," Kurt reminded him.

Blaine swore under his breath, "This isn't good, I don't have any gel with me."

Kurt walked up to him and studied his hair, "Actually, I could make it work with my products."

Blaine gave him an incredulous look, "You carry hair gel with you?"

Kurt turned around and fished around his bag, "Not usually, but we're going to be performing today, and I wanted to come prepared." He glanced around the room at some of the other boys; Brian was talking with Wes and David, and there were two other boys deep in discussion by a window. "Come with me," he said, pulling Blaine out of the room. They found the men's room two minutes later, and hurried inside.

Blaine headed right for the mirrors, and groaned when he saw the condition of his hair. "I look like a poodle," he complained.

Kurt washed his hands, "You do not, now let me fix it." He rubbed some of the gel between his palms, and began restyling Blaine's hair. "Wow," he commented.

Blaine craned his neck to try and see his hair in the mirror, "What?" he asked.

Kurt added more gel to Blaine's curls, "Usually I don't have to use more than a dab, but your hair is really unruly."

Blaine smirked, "Now you know why I go through a bottle a week. How much time do we have?"

"We have a half hour left," Kurt said, glancing at his phone.

The door opened slowly and Brian called, "Is it safe in here?"

Kurt and Blaine exchanged a glance, "Yes?" Kurt said questioningly.

Brian stepped in, "Sorry, I've just heard stories."

Blaine raised a brow, "About?"

Kurt flushed and whispered in Blaine's ear.

Blaine's eyes widened, "Seriously?"

Brian looked at his shoes, and felt his face heat up.

Blaine looked at his now controlled hair, "You have a lot to learn my friend."

"Okay," Kurt announced, "Let's go back to the room."

"There you two are," Wes exclaimed loudly. "We were starting to wonder, if you know what we mean."

Kurt crossed his legs as he sat down and huffed, "Alright, I let it slide with Brian, but Wes, seriously?"

Blaine spoke under his breath, "My point exactly."

"Anyway," David started, "Do we need to go over anything before the first performance? We're going second, but we want to make sure everyone is ready."

"Okay, let's head down then," Wes said to the silent group.

Blaine and Kurt sat together with Brian on Kurt's right. New Directions was amazing like usual, and Kurt found himself smiling at their performance. He couldn't wait to congratulate them on their work even if they didn't win.

When Kurt found himself on stage with the curtain closed, his stomach began to swarm with butterflies. He was afraid they might eat his stomach, and he focused on taking deep breaths to calm himself. Blaine pressed his lips to his cheek, and twined their hands together. "Are you ready?"

Kurt opened his mouth, but the butterflies had somehow flown up to tangle in his vocal chords. He settled for nodding unconvincingly, and Blaine smiled against his cheek. "Don't worry," he said.

Kurt sighed, "When are we on?"

Before Blaine could respond, Wes had taken center stage, "Everybody take your places."

Blaine pulled away from Kurt reluctantly, and took his place in the front of the stage. The Warblers stood in a U shape, with Blaine in front; Kurt was placed at the end of the line, on Blaine's left. Their name was called, and the curtain lifted.

At the sound of the music, Blaine began to sing:

_Lying in the park on a beautiful day  
Sunshine in the grass and the children play  
Sirens passing, fire engine red  
Someone's house is burning down on a day like this_

Wes, David, Kurt and the junior named Theodore all walked forward a couple steps. Blaine looked out at the audience as he began the next verse, and he could tell that they were reacting to the song:

_And evening comes, and we're hanging out  
On the front step and a car goes by with the windows rolled down  
And that War song is playing, "Why can't we be friends"  
Someone is screaming crying in the apartment upstairs_

They all joined in for the chorus; Blaine's voice rang out above the rest of the group, and they began to move again. The four boys in the front skipped to opposite sides of the stage, while the boys who hadn't moved split up into two groups and met Blaine in the middle. Now Kurt and Theodore stood to the right of the stage, and Wes and David were on the left:

_Funny the way it is, if you think about it  
Somebody's going hungry, someone else is eating out  
Funny the way it is, not right or wrong  
Somebody's heart is broken - it becomes your favorite song_

Blaine walked to the edge of the stage as he took the next verse, and he hesitated for a moment as he looked out into the audience at a familiar face:

_Standing on a bridge, watch the water passing underneath  
It must have been much harder when there was no bridge, just water  
Now the world is small, compared to how it used to be  
With mountains and oceans and winters and rivers and stars_

Blaine stood still for a moment, and then backed up into the group of boys who parted to let him in, and then closed to engulf him before shooting off to opposite sides of the stage again:

_Funny the way it is, if you think about it  
One kid walks 10 miles to school, another's dropping out  
Funny the way it is, not right or wrong  
On a soldier's last breath, his baby's being born_

The boys began to walk backwards as they sang the last verse; until they stood in their original positions:

_Funny the way it is, not right or wrong  
Somebody's broken heart become your favorite song  
Funny the way it is, if you think about it  
One kid walks 10 miles to school, another's dropping out_

The crowd went wild, some people giving a standing ovation, while others cheering wildly. Everyone smiled at one another, and immediately, they got into position for their next song.

The Warblers began walking around the outskirts of the stage, while Kurt went to stand beside Blaine. They grinned when they heard the music come on overheard and Blaine sang:

_I like where we are,  
When we drive, in your car  
I like where we are... Here_

The other boys began to hum, and dance around the couple in the middle. Kurt smiled as he sang the next verse:

_Cause our lips, can touch  
And our cheeks, can brush  
Our lips can touch here_

Kurt and Blaine ran to opposite ends of the stage, and the rest of the boys met in the middle:

_Well you are the one, the one that lies close to me  
Whisper's "Hello, I've missed you quite terribly"  
I fell in love, in love with you suddenly  
Now there's no place else I could be but here in your arms_

The duo ran back to the center of the stage, but instead of stopping like Blaine, Kurt ran right past him and circled around him. Blaine sang his verse like he was trying to get Kurt to come back, and slowly he did:

_I like where you sleep,  
When you sleep, next to me.  
I like where you sleep... here  
_

Kurt sang the next verse as he looked at Blaine:

_Our lips, can touch  
And our cheeks, can brush  
Our lips can touch here  
_

There was a brief lapse in time where everything faded into the background, and it was only them on the stage. Blaine wanted to kiss the other boy, but he remembered his steps and tore away from Kurt as they sang the chorus once again. As they danced across the stage, Blaine half whispered his lines, and he felt Kurt brush past him with his lines:

_Our lips, can touch  
Our lips, can touch...here_

Kurt emitted a laugh as Blaine finally caught up to him, and pressed a finger to his lips. Their hearts stopped beating, but they closed the song with the final chorus; moving slowly down the stage, while the other boys swarmed around them. _  
_

The crowd cheered once more, and Kurt saw the entire row of New Directions stand up like they did at Sectionals. He beamed, and nonchalantly took Blaine's hand.

They were ushered off the stage as Aural Intensity gave their performance fifteen minutes later, but Kurt hardly noticed them due to Blaine's uncanny ability to turn his brain to mush.

Finally, the three groups stood on the stage together, waiting for the results. Kurt's stomach was infested with butterflies again, and his face reminded Blaine of a corpse. They stood, hardly daring to breath as the announcer said, "In third place, New Directions."

The audience clapped politely, and some people booed. Kurt was stunned, he would have thought if New Directions didn't win, they would have at least come in second. He glanced over at Rachel, who looked heart broken and enraged at the same time.

On his left, Aural Intensity was looking relaxed and laid back, and Sue appeared bored.

"In first place," the man continued after giving Will and the McKinley high kids some flowers, "is," the crowd waited, straining in their seats. Blaine clutched Kurt's hand so tightly his knuckles were turning white, and Wes and David nearly fell over from standing so still. "The Dalton Academy Warblers," he screamed.

Blaine grabbed Kurt and crushed their bodies together, Wes and David cheered, giving smug looks to Vocal Adrenaline, Brian gave high fives to the other boys, and Sue looked murderous. Mercedes and some of the other New Directions members came over to congratulate Kurt and his group members. The crowd roared, and Blaine couldn't help noticing that face out in the audience again. Kurt followed his gaze to a tall brunette in her late teens, bouncing off the heels of her feet as she waved to them.

"Do you know her?" Kurt asked, gesturing to the excited girl.

Blaine nodded, "That's my cousin."

They shared a few words with the others before going backstage to visit Sophie. "I didn't even tell her the date of our performance," Blaine said as they walked down the stairs.

Sophie met them at the entrance, and took a tentative step forward. "Hi," she said cautiously, taking in Blaine and the boy attached to his hip.

"Hey Sophie, how are you? What are you doing here?"

"Well," she said giving a small smile, "I heard today was Regionals, and I also wanted to personally apologize to you."

Blaine nodded, "Thank you, I appreciate it. I would like to introduce you to someone," he said gesturing to Kurt. "This is my boyfriend Kurt, and Kurt this is my older cousin Sophie."

Kurt stepped forward, and greeted the young woman who seemed to be more in her early twenties than late teens. "It's very nice to meet you," he said.

"You too," she answered beaming. "You guys did an amazing job, and I'm so happy for you."

Blaine smiled but gave her a look of confusion "How did you hear that today was Regionals?"

She sighed, "Blaine, it was on your school website."

He laughed, "I forgot we put up specific dates."

She nodded, "So, will there be a celebratory party?"

"Most likely," he grinned.

She smiled and looked over their shoulders at the boy approaching, "Who's this?"

Kurt turned and a smile lit up his face, "Hey Brian."

The younger boy bounded up to the small group, "What's going on?"

"Brian this is my cousin Sophie, and Sophie this is Brian, he's a Warbler too," Blaine said gesturing between them.

She smiled, "Nice to meet you."

He smiled cordially at her but turned to face the two boys, "Wes and David are looking for you."

Blaine looked at his watch, "We haven't been gone that long have we?"

"Probably not," answered Brian, "but you know how they are."

Kurt smiled and looked at Brian, "That we do."

"I'll let you guys go," Sophie said.

"It was nice to see you," Blaine replied honestly. They embraced quickly, leaving Kurt and Brian standing somewhat awkwardly. The two boys felt the moment was more private than Blaine or Sophie was letting on, and they looked away politely.

Five minutes later, the three boys made their way back up to their room, meeting some members of New Directions and chatting about their performances along the way.

All of a sudden, Wes let out a shriek of delight causing half the boys to jump and stare at him incredulously.

"Wes?" David asked curiously.

Wes scanned the room, his eyes beaming and his phone in his right hand, "Our favorite brothers are returning this weekend."

Brian stared at the senior, lost for words, his eyes shining with happiness. "He's coming back," he whispered.

Kurt walked up to him and put his hand on his back, "I can tell you're happy."

Brian turned around, his heart was beating fast in his chest and he felt overcome with emotion. "I wasn't there for him before, but I'll be there for him now."

Kurt smiled, "That's all we can do."

* * *

**That took quite a long time!**

** The two songs they sang for Regionals were "Here in Your Arms," by Hellogoodbye, and "Funny the Way It Is," by Dave Matthews Band.**

** The next chapter will feature a special assembly about suicide to the students at Dalton, and we find out why Karofsky was expelled from McKinley.**

** Have fun watching Glee everyone :D**


	11. Chapter 11

**Hi Everyone,**

**All I can say about last episode is WOW!**

**I don't own glee…if I did, I would have made the Regionals episode last just a bit longer (and by episode, I mean a certain scene).**

**Have fun :D**

A Journey-Chapter 11

* * *

"Is everything packed?" Melissa asked, her face poking in at John.

He nodded, and took one last look at the bare white walls, before he stepped out and followed his cousin down the hallway to freedom. Last he knew, the Warblers had won Regionals, and were the talk of the school.

"Here you go," a nurse said, handing him his bag. He reached inside and felt around for his phone, sighing with relief when his fingers closed over it.

"Come on, you can check your phone in the car," said Melissa, as she paraded him down the hallways, her hand on the small of his back.

Once they reached the parking garage, John hopped into the passenger's seat, and immediately began looking through his messages. There weren't any; not even from Brian. He nonchalantly shoved his phone back into the bag by his feet, and leaned his head against the window.

As she pulled out into the road, she stole glances at the small boy huddled against the door. After talking with Tom she knew exactly what had happened, and saying that she was worried would be an understatement. "What are you thinking about?" she asked while keeping her eyes on the road.

Brian breathed evenly, and mulled her question over in his head. He could say nothing, but she would see right through that. He could make something up too, but he didn't want to lie to this person who would be taking him in under her roof. So, he settled for the most current topic on his mind, "Nobody bothered sending me a message."

Her eyes settled on the small phone in his hand, "Tom must have told them that you wouldn't have your phone with you."

Brian scoffed, "Yeah, that's what happened."

She sighed inwardly, and pulled into a gas station on the side of the road.

"What are we doing here?" Brian asked.

"I don't know about you, but I could use a soda and a bag of chips," she explained.

She took the keys out of the ignition, "Come on, let's go pick some stuff out."

He raised his brow at her as they walked to the door, "Dalton is twenty minutes away you know."

She nodded, "I know, but I'm not going to be spending those twenty minutes on a sugar withdrawal."

"I thought you said you wanted to get a bag of chips."

They stopped in the candy bar aisle, "Maybe I need some sugar too," she said with a smile.

Once they were on the road again, she re-approached the topic at hand once more, "How do you feel about you're friends not texting you?"

He frowned at her, "What are you doing?"

"Trying to understand how you're feeling," she replied softly.

He sighed angrily, "You know how I feel!"

She kept her hands firmly on the wheel, "I know what other people have told me, but I haven't heard you talk about how you feel."

He ripped a Snickers open, "It doesn't matter."

She frowned, "What makes you think that?"

He looked down, and ate his Snickers in silence. She looked over at him more than once, and handed him a napkin as he finished his candy. "I want you to know that I care about you, and that you can talk to me about anything."

He poured Purel over his hands, "Thanks."

She smiled, and turned down the long stretch of road that led to Dalton. "You're welcome."

Brian steeled himself for what awaited him, he had been gone from school for a week, and he wasn't sure what to expect from the other boys.

"Are you nervous?"

He swallowed, "What if they hate me?"

"They won't."

* * *

"Hey there." Blaine leaned against the doorframe to Kurt's room, smiling as he saw the younger boy making his bed.

Kurt straightened up, "Hey to you too."

Blaine made his way across the room, "John will be here soon."

A smile lit up the younger boy's face, "That's great."

Blaine nodded, and shoved his hands in his pockets as he stood beside Kurt.

"There's something you're not telling me," Kurt said. He moved to clasp their hands together, worry flashing through his eyes.

"It's Karofsky," Blaine said quietly.

The worry soon turned to confusion, "What about him?"

"Hey you two, I hope I'm not interrupting anything, but John's back," Theodore exclaimed from the hall.

Kurt pulled back to look at him, "Thanks," he said.

"Kurt," Blaine began.

"Tell me later?" he asked, standing up.

Blaine sighed, "Of course." They walked down the hall to go meet the freshman. Their dorm was a flurry of boys talking excitedly in their rooms about their recent win at Regionals, and a huge banner hung from the ceiling, just shy of the main door.

The weather had warmed considerably, melting the snow that stuck to the grass, and bringing out the Robins that promised spring.

They rushed past gazebos and school buildings to the main parking lot where Melissa would be bringing John.

They arrived just in time to see John get out of the passenger side door, and Kurt let out a sigh of relief. He looked tired and nervous but alert.

Blaine watched Kurt run down to greet the young boy, and while he was happy to see John, his thoughts were clouded. He would be lying if he said he wasn't furious about the morning's events, and he could not get _that _conversation out of his head. He wanted to run down to where Kurt stood, and attach him to his hip so nothing could ever hurt him. He bit his lip to keep the tears at bay, but failed when he saw Kurt's smile that lit up his face and made his eyes twinkle.

Slowly, he stepped down, wiping his eyes on the way. He heard bits and pieces of the conversation, and leapt back when he felt Brian push past him to wrap John in an earth shattering hug. Kurt continued to flit around them, and bent down to pick up a suitcase, his smile still wide.

Melissa smiled as she watched them, and Blaine saw more than he heard her shut the trunk of the car as the group made their way to the dorms. He was pulled along by Kurt who was talking a mile a minute to John and Melissa, and it was all he could do to not break down.

He found himself standing at John's door, and everything was a blur. He held onto Kurt's hand so tightly that Kurt stared down at his white knuckles, and then up to meet Blaine's eyes before he released his grip. Words caught in his throat, and he wrenched himself from the room before anyone realized he had left.

Kurt stared after him, and murmured an apology to the others before heading in the direction he had seen Blaine leave.

Blaine sat down heavily in a bench in the commons, and held his face in his hands. He wouldn't let it happen, he couldn't.

A minute later he heard a pair of shoes hit the floor. Whoever they belonged to was in a hurry, and he wasn't surprised when he heard the shoes turn to meet him. He kept his face hidden until he felt slender fingers slide under his hands to lift his head up, and he faced Kurt's clear blue stare.

"Blaine, what happened?"

"It's not safe here," he mumbled.

Kurt was growing more worried every second that Blaine wasn't forming a coherent sentence, and he slid his hands around his waist so they were pressed together on the bench. "Tell me about this morning," Kurt urged.

Blaine sighed and closed his eyes before responding, "I was headed to the faculty offices to get my mail this morning, and I saw Karofsky."

Kurt swallowed nervously, but kept silent.

"Kurt, he was with his dad, and they were looking at the brochures for transfer students."

Kurt's heart plummeted, what did this mean? If Karofsky transferred here, then there would be no escaping his subtle taunts in the hallways, his shushed whispers in the bathrooms between classes. A strangled gasp climbed up the length of his throat, and slipped between his lips.

"Kurt," he repeated, pressing his lips to the top of his head. "I'm so sorry, if I could only protect you from everything."

Kurt's fingers flew to his lips, remembering the feel of Karofsky against him. He thought he had won, but he knew deep down that running away wasn't winning, it was simply saving your problems for another day.

Kurt smiled, the muscles pulling tight against his lips, making the end result look more like a grimace than a smile. "It's alright, I don't need you to protect me, I just need you."

* * *

Wes ran down the hallway at full speed; he knew he probably shouldn't be galloping like a Mustang because he'd most likely hit something, but this was important. He reached the bathrooms, and began sticking paper on the walls, the door, and the mirror before heading out to the hall again and randomly putting the invitations on every surface imaginable.

"What's that?" Tom asked, walking down the stairs, and causing Wes to jump up and shriek.

"Tom, do not, ever, do that again," he warned slowly.

"Sorry," the other boy replied. He took one look at the bright blue paper and smirked, "Seriously?"

"Yes," Wes said proudly. "Winning Regionals is a big thing, and the Warblers deserve a little celebration."

Tom read the flyer, "You may want to add 'no booze' in bold letters or something, some of the boys can get a little over the top."

"Oh please," Wes said, waving his comment away. "Their parents would die if any of them drank, and could you imagine Blaine drinking?"

"I could not imagine Blaine drinking, however, some of the others are a different story."

"Who's imagining me drinking?" A voice called from the stairwell.

Tom and Wes turned around to see Blaine walking towards them with a slight smirk on his face.

Tom held up his hands, "It's not me."

"Oh thanks, real nice," Wes exclaimed, rolling his eyes.

"It's nice to see you again Tom."

"You too," the senior said, clapping Blaine on the shoulder.

Wes shoved two of the invitations into Blaine's open hand, and continued plastering the walls with the other two hundred copies.

"Wes I don't think you need to have that many, people will get the point," Blaine said. "And why do I have two?"

Wes stood still for a moment, organizing the stack of papers, "One for you, and one for Kurt," he explained.

"How is Kurt?" Tom asked.

"A lot better now that John is back."

Tom smiled, and looked down at his polished shoes. There was an awkward silence, and the only sound in the hall was Wes as he continued placing the invitations on the walls and doors.

"I have to get going," Tom announced, breaking the silence.

"Where are you going?" Blaine asked, shifting his weight.

"To John's dorm."

"Oooh," Wes exclaimed. "Here, just take some of these, and make sure their spread out evenly in his dorm." He handed Tom about fifty pages, and then straightened out to examine his work.

Blaine suppressed a laugh, "Yes because you spaced these out evenly, Wes."

"I did, it lets everyone know that there's a huge celebration this weekend."

Blaine smiled, "You keep telling yourself that."

"Yeah, I'm thinking you might have to start over," Tom put in, examining Wes's handy work.

"Shoo," the other senior said, pushing Tom down the hallway. "And you," he rounded on Blaine, "Do not laugh."

"Who said anyone's laughing." Blaine made his way to go find Kurt, who was most likely with John, but when he passed by his dorm room, he clearly made out the distinct curve of his hair and stopped just shy of the door.

Kurt craned his neck to see Blaine around the door, "Hey."

"I thought you would be with John."

"No, he's getting settled in, and Melissa and Brian are with him so I decided to give them some space."

Blaine leaned against the wall, "Good idea, did you see these?" he asked, holding up one of the blue papers.

Kurt grinned, "As a matter of fact, Wes almost ran into me on his way over here."

"He's extremely excited," Blaine agreed.

Kurt leaned back, "Who wouldn't be?"

David peered into the room, "Blaine, you're needed up at the main office." His expression was slightly worried, but he gave a tight smile nonetheless.

"Alright, I'll see you later Kurt."

They hugged briefly, before the two older boys left for the faculty offices.

"David, what's up?"

"Well, it certainly isn't good," he replied.

* * *

_Slam! _The kitchen cabinet resonated sharply through the bright room as Dave Karofsky attempted to find lunch.

"Dave! Quiet down in there," his mother called.

"There's nothing to eat," he complained.

"We'll get something on the way to Dalton," his father said as he walked into the kitchen.

"I don't even understand why we have to go visit _that_ school. I don't even want to go there," Dave said his voice betraying his calm composure.

"That school is what's going to get you back on track, and remember we're just looking," his mother commented.

He shook his head, "Whatever." His mind reeled with thoughts of Kurt, and their disaster of a kiss. He had never told anyone about it nor did he plan on it. That kiss was the reason why he was more terrified of going to that school than he was of anyone finding out that he was gay; he couldn't face Kurt or his boyfriend, and something inside him stirred dangerously whenever he thought of Blaine.

He followed his dad out to their car, and lost himself in his I-pod for the majority of the ride. As they got closer to the expensive private school, he felt his stomach twist with nerves and sick anticipation of what awaited him.

They walked in silence up to the main office; Dave kept his eyes down and walked close to his father. It was Sunday, which meant boys were in their rooms, or walking out to their cars to head into town. It also meant that Dave didn't run into anyone he knew, or who might know Kurt, which was a huge plus for him. Reality came crashing down around him when he reached the President's office, and saw none other than Blaine Anderson waiting to give him a tour of the school.

If Blaine was shocked, he didn't show it. The perfect smile was in place, and he looked dressed to impress in his flawless uniform and styled hair. He greeted them with sincerity, giving firm handshakes to both Dave and his dad. It was only when he began to shepherd them down the hallway that Dave caught the flash of anger in his eyes, and he immediately knew that Blaine would do anything in his power to keep him from transferring to Dalton.

"…and these are the buildings where classes are held." Blaine extended a hand to showcase the stark white buildings that contrasted heavily against the clear blue sky, and which were marked by the signs placed in the front and sides.

Dave's father was listening intently, every fiber of his body poised to the junior in front of him, but Dave was another story; he walked on auto like his life depended on it, and kept checking his phone to see how much time had passed.

They walked over to the dining hall, the dorm rooms, and the fields where sports lessons and games were played out.

Just after they reached the dining hall, Dave's dad asked, "Where are the bathrooms?"

"Over here Sir." Blaine led him into the deserted hall and pointed to the rear where the restrooms were located.

"Thank you, I'll just be a moment."

Blaine nodded, "Take your time."

Dave knew he was bright red, and he also knew that Blaine was staring at him with such intensity that it was difficult to concentrate on the color of the chairs, which were a deep burgundy.

"What are you doing here?" Blaine's voice rushed at Dave in increments, and he stood with his arms crossed, waiting for an answer.

"Not that it's any of your business," Dave sneered, "But I got kicked out."

"I noticed," Blaine quipped. He counted the seconds until Mr. Karofsky came back, and hoped that he had enough time to say what he needed too. "I understand how difficult a situation you're in, but if you ever come near Kurt, I will not hesitate to sit down with your parents."

"You wouldn't," Dave hissed, his voice low.

"I would," Blaine said, not missing a beat.

Dave walked closer, a dangerous smile forming, "You wouldn't, because then my parents would really send me here to modify my behavior, which would only bring me closer to the little homo."

Blaine saw fire, but before he could do or say anything, his father walked back out and they continued the tour. This went on for an excruciatingly long forty five minutes, and Blaine was just about ready to drop the charade when they finally made their way back to the main offices.

He signed them in on the visitor's sheet, and called the secretary to take over. He walked away, fists clenched tight until he stood outside and felt hot tears cloud his vision.

* * *

"Settle down everyone, settle down," the President exclaimed over the excited chatter the students were making after they were called down to the auditorium during third period Tuesday morning.

The teachers herded the boys into the seats as fast as possible, and Kurt prided himself on his ability to sneak past his teacher to find Blaine on the other side. They whispered in hushed voices while they took their seats, receiving harsh glares from the adults sitting on the end of the rows.

"It has come to my, as well as the faculty's attention that while Dalton prepares you for life at college, we do not work nearly as hard at preparing you for the rollercoaster that is life." The room was deathly silent, all eight hundred students staring towards the front as she spoke. She stared out at the sea of boys and continued, "While other schools have sex-education classes, here at Dalton we pride ourselves on abstinence, and while other schools have guidance counselors, we have a therapist that comes in once a week. I am beginning to see that this is a problem."

She paused, making eye contact with as many boys as possible. Most of the students she had never met, and most likely never would. She realized how closed off she was with her students, and even though this was normal considering her status at Dalton, she felt like she could be doing more for these boys that walked through the halls every single day.

"There has been a recent event, one that has prompted me to hold this assembly." Kurt and Blaine glanced at each other; they had no idea the assembly would be about what had happened.

"For those of you who are aware of the past two week's events, I urge you to talk with the counselors that will be working here for the next month. They can answer any questions, or listen and help find solutions to any concerns that you are experiencing."

A cough sounded in the back of the room, and there was a round of shuffling as the boys attempted to hide their faces from sight. Most of them knew what happened with John, but most of them didn't really understand what an event like that meant.

She talked for another half hour about the different resources that are available for everyone, as well as the signs to look out for among friends and family.

Blaine stood up and stretched, watching the other students walk back up the aisles.

"Where is John?" Kurt asked looking around the room.

"I don't think he's here," Blaine replied following Kurt down the walkway. "I'm sure Tom would know, if we ever get out of here without being trampled.

All of a sudden, they were pulled back by two pairs of hands. Kurt gasped and clutched Blaine to keep from falling down, while Blaine glanced quickly at the faces around him.

Wes and David sidled up to the duo, "You two are needed in the rec hall," David said.

Blaine just stared back, "And you didn't want to tell us this when we were back out in the hall?"

"Nope," Wes announced. "Besides, if we waited then we would have lost you guys."

Kurt rolled his eyes, but walked with Blaine followed the two seniors to their destination.

* * *

"They'll never let him transfer here," Tom noted, watching Kurt and Blaine hang the twenty foot banner congratulating the Warblers on winning Regionals in the doorway of the rec hall.

"You don't think so?" Kurt replied, climbing down the ladder and surveying their work.

"I know so."

"Tom is right!" Blaine put in excitedly, moving to stand next to Kurt. "They won't take any chances with him, especially since he's the reason you transferred here in the first place."

"He could lie."

"No, and besides they know why you transferred," Tom explained.

"And, if he was expelled for bullying, he will not be allowed here anyways," Blaine said.

Kurt breathed a sigh of relief; he would remain safe at Dalton for the remainder of the school year, and if he decided to transfer back to McKinley next fall, he would be safe there too.

The three boys turned at the sound of footsteps, and smiled when they saw Brian and John come into view. They were leading a long line of boys carrying boxes filled with plastic cups, plates, silverware, and napkins.

"Thanks everyone," Brian said.

They stacked the boxes on top of an empty table, and walked back out the way they came.

Blaine laughed, "How did you get the entire freshman class to help you?"

"They were bored, and we needed help," Brian grinned, helping John peel back the tops of the boxes.

"That's the fifth time you've glanced at your phone in the last fifteen minutes," Kurt announced, as Blaine slipped the small device back into his pants pocket.

"I may have a hot date," Blaine grinned.

Kurt lifted a brow in disbelief, "Yeah okay."

"No, you're right," Blaine said. "It's better than that," and he watched as Kurt's eyes widened at the group dancing through the doors.

* * *

**So, I was going to write their party in the same chapter, but I decided it would be fun if the next chapter focused entirely on their celebration.**

**Does anyone want to guess who's crashing the party?**

**Reviews are like the first day of spring I would have liked to see in New England :D**


	12. Chapter 12

_**Hello,**_

_**It's been quite a while since I've updated this story. Now that school is over, they will be much more frequent. This story also will be no longer than twenty chapters. This chapter is the party chapter with hints of plot to come in later chapters.**_

_**Insert disclaimer here**_

_**Enjoy!**_

* * *

Kurt watched in shock as Mercedes, Brittany and Finn came through the door.

After he quickly pinched himself to make sure he wasn't dreaming, his look of shock turned into elation as he was tackled into a group hug.

"What are you guys doing here?" he asked breathlessly.

"Blaine said you were having a celebration party, and he knows how much you miss us, so he invited us." Mercedes said.

Kurt turned to look at Blaine. He was smiling like there was no tomorrow, and that smile was all for Kurt.

"Well, let's get started!" Kurt screamed as he threw his hands up into the air. He just knew this would be The Party to remember.

* * *

"I need ten of each on both sides of the tables." Blaine instructed to the others.

He was walking around with a clipboard and pen which he used to check off various items he considered, 'done.'

Kurt thought it was the funniest thing he had ever seen, even after Blaine threatened to hide-never throw out-his endless supply of face cream.

Mercedes, Brittany, and Finn were all doing their part; following Blaine around like three little ducklings.

Eventually, even Blaine found it absurd. "You can do this on your own, I don't need to watch you guys all the time."

Finn raised a brow. "Yeah, well-"

Mercedes cut him off. "Brittany does need to be watched, and Finn and I are afraid the President will never allow us back if we leave her alone in a place outside her comfort zone."

"Oh." Blaine blinked rapidly a few times. "In that case, Brittany can you go and put the extra silverware in that bin over there?"

She nodded and left in the direction Blaine had pointed muttering something about cat-reading diaries, or was it diary-reading cats?

"Where's everyone else?" Kurt asked.

"Sue has this plan to destroy the Glee club, and well, she has literally torn us apart."

Kurt knew his mouth was gaping open at Mercedes's comment, but really? He thought his friends were stronger than that.

"What do you mean?" he finally asked.

"The school newspaper was started again, and there's a gossip column that posts rumors about everyone." She answered.

Kurt was stupefied. "Like what?"

"Like Mr. Shue was leaving New Directions, or Quinn was cheating with Sam." Finn answered.

"That's insane!"

"We thought so too, so now it's 'Operation Re-Build the Glee Club Before Sue Kicks the Foundation Down."

"Is there anyway I could help?"

Sue seems to miss you in that weird way that she expresses her emotions, so maybe talk to her."

"I don't know. I may gave to bring Blaine with me."

Mercedes smiled. "I do like your boyfriend."

Kurt blushed. "I'm kind of fond of him too, now can we please party?"

His friends smiled, and Kurt felt his heart clench as he remembered just how much he missed them.

* * *

The party was in effect, the craziest thing in Dalton history.

Food, music, and dancing took the students to new heights, and the music could be heard through open dormitory windows…across campus.

Most of New Directions had come to the party and were mingling with the other Dalton students who for once, were out of uniform.

The Warblers were singing Pink's Get The Party Started up on the stage (and even John was getting into the music):

_Pumping up the volume, breaking down to the beat  
Cruisin' through the west side  
We'll be checkin' the scene  
Boulevard is freakin' as I'm comin' up fast  
I'll be burnin' rubber, you'll be kissin' my ass  
Pull up to the bumper, get out of the car  
License plate says Stunner #1 Superstar_

"I love this song!" Rachel screamed as she jumped up and down on the floor. Her hair flew around her wildly and she kept fist pumping the air in a way that had Mercedes worried.

She threw a quick glance to the drinks and wondered if anyone had spiked the drinks even though they would have had to hide it in the room before the party began with the amount of security Dalton had.

However, looking at Puck and Mike dancing around to a fast growing audience, Mercedes didn't put it past them.

She glanced again at the Warblers-mainly Kurt and Blaine-as they began to sing the chorus and smiled.

_I'm comin' up so you better get this party started  
I'm comin' up so you better get this party started_

Kurt sang, his eyes trained on Blaine as the lead Warbler echoed his words:

_I'm comin' up so you better get this party started  
I'm comin' up so you better get this party started  
Get this party started_

The Dalton Glee club then jumped off the stage and immediately broke out into Good Girls Go Bad by Cobra Starship:

_I know your type  
Yeah daddy's lil' girl  
Just take a bite  
Let me shake up your world  
Cause just one night couldn't be so wrong  
I'm gonna make you lose control_

Kurt laughed at Blaine's verse and ran threw the crowd that parted like the Red Sea for him.

Blaine followed, tripping over his feet as he ran to keep up with his slightly taller boyfriend.

He reached forward and grabbed Kurt's hand, effectively yanking him to his side.

Kurt picked up his lines just in time:

_I know your type  
Boy you're dangerous  
Yeah you're that guy  
I'd be stupid to trust  
But just one night couldn't be so wrong  
You make me want to lose control_

After they finished the song, the other Warblers headed back on stage to begin a background harmony while the crowd settled down to the slower song.

"May I?" Blaine asked.

Kurt looked at his outstretched hand and smiled. "Why yes, you may."

Blaine took his hand and wrapped his other arm around Kurt's waist. Kurt giggled when Blaine nuzzled his face into his neck and sighed into the embrace.

"Aren't they cute?" Mercedes asked as she gestured to Kurt and Blaine on the other side of the room.

Rachel gave her a long look before glancing at her friend and his boyfriend whispering what was most likely sweet nothings to each other.

Mercedes was right-they were cute-but there was something about the gleam in her dark brown eyes that clicked in Rachel's mind.

Mercedes was lonely.

Rachel addressed her friend. "Mercedes, you're lonely."

"What?"

"You need a boyfriend." Rachel said matter-of-factly, as if she was discussing the reason why she placed a gold star after her name.

"Rachel, I may be somewhat jealous of Kurt and Blaine's relationship, but when I want a boyfriend, I'll go and find myself one."

Rachel frowned. In fact, one could say the cogs were rolling in her brain as she processed the words Mercedes had spoken. "Mercedes, if my therapy sessions with Ms. Pillsbury taught me anything, it's that you need to go deeper inside yourself and work on being more self-aware."

Now, it was Mercedes turn to frown. "You sound like a modern day Freud."

"I'm serious. In fact," Rachel noted, "I would say I'm much more mature as a result of those sessions.

"Rachel, I'm not looking for advice."

Rachel pouted. "I'm just trying to help."

"And I don't need it."

"But-"

"No buts." As soon as she was satisfied the conversation was over, Mercedes went to talk with Tina, leaving a shocked Rachel in her wake.

* * *

Brian spotted John near the bathrooms and went over to see him.

"How are you?"

John gave him a half-smile. "Hanging in there."

"You seem to be enjoying the music and dancing."

"Yeah."

"What are you thinking about?"

"Just-" he trailed off, staring at his shoes.

"Just what?"

John caught his eye again and said, "I want to be normal."

"Everyone wants to be normal."

John sighed. "You don't understand."

"Well then help me to understand."

"You're normal, Kurt and Blaine-although they've had their fair share of drama-are normal, Tom is normal, gosh, everyone I've met is normal."

Brian frowned. "Can you explain to me what you mean by 'normal?'"

"Not feeling the way I feel." John said as he looked down at his shoes. All he wanted to was to be normal and he didn't feel very normal.

"News flash, everyone feels the way you feel at sometime or another, therefore, everyone is either entirely normal or entirely abnormal."

"I'm tired."

"I know you are. How are your therapy sessions going?"

"Uneventful."

"In what way?"

"I don't feel any better."

"John. John look at me. It will take time for you to feel 'normal,' and even then what's normal for you may not be normal for everyone else."

"Will I ever feel normal?"

"Yes, you will." Brian smiled at his friend and together, they made their way back to the center of the party.

New Directions were on stage now singing What The Hell by Avril Lavigne, and the sounds of _la, la, las _were creating a whirlwind of infectious excitement.

As the day grew later, the party seemed to grow stronger as pizza was ordered and someone-certainly not Puck-took alcohol out of a linen closet and passed it around or pored it in drinks.

"Where is security?" Wes asked a slightly drunk David.

"Nno ideaa," David slurred. "Wwhich is probably a ggood thing because I would gettt kicked offa the council."

"Oh goodness, he isn't drunk is he?" Tom asked as he took in David's appearance.

"Well seeing as how he can barely stand on his own two feet and he's slurring like there's no tomorrow, I'd say yes." Wes said as he leaned forward quickly to grab David before he could fall.

"It must be that Puck kid," Tom said as he wandered off in search of the Mohawk clad boy.

"Hey!" Wes called. "What do I do with him?"

Sit him down and give him some water to sip!" Tom called back.

"And if this doesn't work?" Wes mumbled under his breath as he pulled a half-comatose David over to a table.

* * *

"Kurttttt," Brittany complained. "I miss you!"

Kurt laughed softly, "I miss you too, sweetheart."

"When are you coming home?"

Her statement caught Kurt off guard. When was he coming home? Did she mean home home, or McKinley home? One could never be too sure with Brittany. "What do you mean?"

"We miss you."

_Ah. _Kurt thought. McKinley home. "Sweetie, you know I can't come back."

"Sure you can, my cat said that it would be a good idea."

Kurt sighed. "Your cat doesn't exactly know what happened."

"Yes. Yes, I told him."

Kurt smiled. "And he said it's a good idea?"

She nodded excitedly. "Yes."

He felt his heart clench again.

* * *

After Kurt said his last goodbyes and his friends were locked outside Dalton's gates he turned and folded himself in Blaine's arms.

"Did you have a good time?"

Kurt nodded. He had been ecstatic when Mercedes and Brittany came to see him and it only showed how much fun he used to have with them.

As if Blaine could read his thoughts he pulled away and gave him a long, but soft look.

"What's wrong?"

"Maybe, you should go back." Blaine said quietly.

Kurt stared at Blaine with wide eyes. His heart beat rapidly in his chest. "Blaine, what are you talking about?"

"I know. I see just how much you miss them. It's why I invited them to our party."

"Blaine…"

"I know that that is where you belong."

"Blaine, how am I supposed to go back when the bullies are still running the place?"

"That isn't what's stopping you, Kurt."

Kurt folded his arms over his chest. "And what is stopping me, Blaine Anderson."

"Me."

Kurt looked confused. "You have no say where I go to school."

"You're right, I don't. but you refuse to leave Dalton because I'm here."

"That isn't true," Kurt said shaking his head.

Blaine nodded. "It is, Kurt. You know it is, but you won't say anything because you don't want to upset me."

"No, Blaine. No, I belong here with you." Kurt was shaking now. Was Blaine trying to break up with him? Was he too boring? Did Blaine find someone else?

"Kurt, I want you to belong here. I really do, but I know that you belong at McKinley."

"No." Kurt could feel the tears clouding his vision but he couldn't believe that Blaine really wanted to say goodbye. He thought that what they had was something special, something that couldn't be touched.

Was he wrong?

Blaine seemed to sense what he was thinking. "Kurt, I am not breaking up with you." He stepped forward and grasped Kurt's hands in his own. "I love you, and I want to be with you forever, but I know that you aren't happy here."

Kurt opened his mouth to speak.

"No, Kurt. Let me explain. While you are happy with me, you aren't happy at this school and I know it's because you need to go home."

"I don't want to hurt you," Kurt whispered. He hated that Blaine had caught on, and he hated it more that everything Blaine was saying was true.

"You aren't hurting me, Kurt. You're hurting yourself every single day you aren't back at McKinley, and the more you tell yourself you don't miss them, the more you break inside. I saw at the party, Kurt. You don't deserve what you're doing to yourself."

"What about you?"

Blaine shrugged. "What about me? We'll still visit, go on dates, and talk on the phone. The only difference is we won't see each other all the time."

"You're okay with that?" Kurt asked in disbelief.

"As long as you're happy, then I'm happy. I'll miss you like crazy of course, but at least I know that you're where you belong."

Kurt could feel himself choking back tears. "I like it here though."

Blaine smiled. "I know you do, but you love McKinley. You shouldn't have to run away anymore."

"It doesn't even feel like I'm running."

"I know. You're not, but I can feel that Dalton is containing your amazing self."

Kurt smiled slightly. "I don't have to decide now, right?"

"Of course not." He held him again. "You choose when you're ready and whenever you want to talk, you know that you can."

"Thank you, for everything."

Blaine chuckled. "There is nothing to thank me for, I feel like the one with all the good luck."

"Well Mr. Good Luck, let's go inside before I fall asleep out here."

Blaine allowed himself to be dragged inside by Kurt, smiling all the way because really, having the younger boy in his life was a blessing of some sort.


	13. Chapter 13

**_Hello,_**

**_We're getting closer and closer to the end. This is the homestretch. After Karofsky was expelled, Kurt began thinking about what would happen if he transferred back and what that would mean for him. He begins to realize that life is about living for yourself and being who you are, no matter what anybody else thinks._**

**_This is a realization chapter, and in a way, sets up the remaining chapters of this story. _**

**_I don't own Glee._**

* * *

"You've been kind of quiet all day," Blaine observed Monday evening in the study room with Kurt.

Kurt remained silent. He continued working on his math homework, the pencil moving across the paper as if his life depended on it. After his second problem, the tip pushed through the thin sheet and Kurt threw his pencil across the room in a fit of rage.

Blaine stood up from his spot on the sofa and moved to sit cross-legged on the floor next to Kurt. "What's going on?" he asked softly.

Kurt bit his lip and kept his face turned away from Blaine. He was ashamed of feeling this way. The Warblers had won Regionals, he had won Regionals, and yet, he couldn't shake the way his stomach twisted whenever he thought about the party. "It's the party," he whispered.

Blaine placed his hand on top of Kurt's and asked, "What about it?"

"Brittany," Kurt replied shuddering. He shoved his homework away and curled into Blaine, clutching him tightly.

Blaine mirrored his actions and stroked his hair while Kurt sobbed into his shoulder. Whatever this was about, it was clear that Kurt was deeply upset about it. "Tell me what happened," he asked again.

Kurt took in a shuddering breath, "She misses me."

Blaine nodded. "I understand." He shifted but Kurt continued to hide his face. "You don't need to feel guilty or ashamed."

"Yes I do."

Blaine smiled. "Why?"

Kurt clutched him tighter. "I don't want to hurt you."

"Kurt, look at me." Blaine waited until Kurt's clear blue eyes were staring back at his. "The only way that you would hurt me is if you continue to hurt yourself by staying here."

Kurt stared at their hands, Blaine's words ringing in his mind. "_What about it_?"

"What's going on, Kurt?"

"I feel like it's my duty to stay and help win Nationals," Kurt stated.

Blaine stared at him, blown away by his statement. "Kurt, it is _not _your duty to help win Nationals. I mean sure, it was a really amazing thing that we won Regionals, but winning isn't really that important. What was important was that we worked as a team, not that we won. It's nobody's duty to win, it is our duty to work as a team."

Kurt remained silent. Would he ever go back? Was it even a possibility? "I feel like I have to at least help New Directions," he said.

"Okay," Blaine agreed. "Okay."

* * *

"Attention Warblers!" The smack of wood hitting wood as Wes called the meeting to order was initiated.

"Remember," Blaine told Kurt under his breath, "remember what we talked about."

Kurt sighed and fidgeted in his seat. "I know." He looked at Wes, David, and Tom and for a moment, felt a twinge of guilt before exhaling and shooting Blaine a tentative smile.

"Warblers, Nationals will be coming up soon, and we will begin formulating a set list within the next few weeks. It is the last big event before the end of the school year, and before the three of us graduate," he announced gesturing between him and the other council members.

"Does anyone have any ideas?" Tom asked. He had a sheet of paper in front of him, most likely to write down possible song choices that the three of them would discuss later after the meeting.

"I think we should do another duet," a freshman from the back said. "It worked for Regionals, why shouldn't it work for Nationals?"

"Good point," David said nodding.

Tom began scribbling on his sheet and asked, "Do you have any ideas about what song should be sung, or who would be singing together?"

"We could do a vote," The boy offered.

"Okay, good start-"

"Why don't we just have Blaine and Kurt duet again?" Brian spoke from his spot by the window.

"Nobody want's to do a vote…" the boy muttered under his breath.

"I don't know," Wes replied as he turned his gavel in his hands. "What do Blaine and Kurt think about it?"

Kurt looked like he had been given a surprise test in math class. He fumbled for the right words to say to the rest of the boys when Blaine spoke, "I think that we may have to think about it."

The room grew silent and then hushed whispers sounded from the group. "What does he mean they have to think about it?" "What's going on?" Does Kurt not want to duet with Blaine or something?"

"Order! Order!" Wes yelled with a bang from his gavel as he tried to settle the room. "If Blaine and Kurt want to think about it, then they can." He waited until he had calmed the room down enough to be heard without screaming, "Now, does anyone have any problems with that?"

"This will be recorded in the minutes," David mumbled to Wes, who nodded in turn.

"Warblers dismissed!" Wes announced. "We'll pick this up next week and make the final decisions about the duet."

Blaine took Kurt's shaking hand, "Come on, let's go."

Kurt stood up and was met with a concerned glance from Wes. "Is everything alright?"

"Yeah," Kurt whispered. But even as he turned away with Blaine at his side, he could tell that Wes didn't buy it.

* * *

"You're coming with me, right?" Kurt asked Blaine Friday night.

"Of course. If you want me, I'll come," Blaine reassured him.

Kurt and Blaine were going to spend Saturday afternoon with Mercedes formulating a plan to get the rest of the group together. Hopefully with a song.

"I'm just going to go and-"

"Kurt. Do you want to talk about the Warbler's meeting? You've been avoiding it all week."

Kurt sighed. "I'm not going to transfer this year, there's like two months left." Kurt sat on the edge of the bed, made space for Blaine to sit next to him, and then grew silent.

"What about next year?" Blaine pressed.

"I thought we already talked about this," Kurt stated.

Blaine nodded. "We did, but it's still on your mind."

"Maybe," Kurt whispered causing Blaine to smile. "Why are you smiling? It's not really that funny."

"No, you're right. Kurt, I'm smiling because you have to live for yourself, not anyone else, and I think that's why you're having so much trouble."

Kurt glanced at from under his lashes. "And you would know?"

"Yeah. I lived for my parents for the longest time trying to be whatever they wanted me to be, and after awhile, it grew to the point that I couldn't take it anymore." Blaine smiled sadly as he remembered. "It's the same thing with John. If you live a lie, or you live without respect for who you are, it will break you."

"I broke anyway," Kurt said softly but loud enough for Blaine to hear.

"You didn't break. You came here before you could. You always lived for who you are, you showed yourself to the world without any regards to what other people thought. That is courage."

Kurt smiled a little at the mention of courage. It was like the word 'courage' was theirs. He was slowly beginning to realize that life presented difficulties no matter where you went; no matter what you did. The most important part, was facing the difficulties head on with the mind-set that nothing will stand in your way of living your life. Kurt knew that all along, it just took a different environment to see it.


End file.
